卢拉重返圣保罗政治起点，连任竞选聚焦最大票仓

Lula and Fernando Haddad Ricardo Stuckert/PT President and presidential candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, of the Workers’ Party (PT), returned to his political and labor union roots to mark the start of his campaign for a fourth term, placing a strategic focus on São Paulo, Brazil’s largest electoral battleground. Between Friday (24) and Sunday (26), Lula attended four events across the state, including one at the headquarters of the ABC Metalworkers’ Union, the birthplace of his political career. The appearances served as a preview of the official launch of his reelection campaign, scheduled for August 16 in São Bernardo do Campo. The Workers’ Party views Lula’s performance in São Paulo as critical to securing another term. The state has 34.1 million registered voters, accounting for 21.4% of Brazil’s electorate, and became the stage for a political showdown on Saturday (25) between Lula and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, of the Liberal Party (PL), who is running for president. Lula attended official government events in Jacareí and São Paulo on Friday before shifting to campaign activities in Campinas on Saturday, and political speeches in São Bernardo do Campo on Sunday. Flávio Bolsonaro, meanwhile, chose São Paulo’s capital to hold the Liberal Party’s national convention on Saturday, formally launching his presidential campaign. With Haddad, Workers’ Party nationalizes São Paulo governor race Lula campaign sends conflicting signals on economic policy Lula campaign steps up outreach to financial markets On Sunday, Lula offered a glimpse of what his official campaign launch is expected to look like when he addressed supporters at the inauguration ceremony for the new leadership of the ABC Metalworkers’ Union in São Bernardo do Campo, his longtime political stronghold. According to the union, the event drew 11,000 people and served as a test for the PT as it seeks to gauge whether it can attract a similarly large crowd to Vila Euclides Stadium, where Lula is expected to officially launch his campaign. The stadium holds symbolic significance in Brazilian politics, having hosted the mass labor assemblies led by Lula during the landmark metalworkers’ strikes of the early 1980s that propelled him onto the national stage. Lula made a point of attending despite a busy schedule. The event had not been included in his official agenda, and Lula told supporters he technically should not have been there because he needed to prepare for the arrival of South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung and had a phone call scheduled later that evening with Chinese President Xi Jinping. “If I hadn't come, it would have been the first time since 1969 that I missed the inauguration of a union president,” Lula said. His speech was brief. His only direct political remarks came when he said: “This is the country we will continue building—a country where the economy grows, GDP expands, inflation falls and workers’ incomes rise—without accepting interference from anyone.” He added: “We do not accept anyone sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong, because Brazil knows how to take care of itself.” Lula did not mention anyone by name, although the comments appeared to refer to recent developments, including the U.S. government’s decision to send representatives to observe Brazil’s elections and remarks made by Argentine President Javier Milei during the Liberal Party convention in São Paulo on Saturday. On Saturday, Lula was also the featured speaker at the official launch of Fernando Haddad’s campaign for governor of São Paulo during the PT’s state convention in Campinas. Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, a former governor of São Paulo and member of the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB), also attended, underscoring the national importance of the state election. During his speech, Lula again rejected what he described as attempts at foreign interference in Brazil’s elections, in an indirect criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump. “Anyone from abroad who tries to interfere in Brazil’s elections is going to face a strong response from the Brazilian people at the ballot box. The future of this country will be decided by its 157 million voters,” he said. Lula strongly defended Brazil’s national sovereignty after the Foreign Ministry denied visas to U.S. officials who were reportedly planning to travel to Brazil to question the integrity of the country’s electronic voting system. The president is scheduled to return to São Paulo this weekend to formalize his candidacy during the PT’s national convention on August 2 in the state capital. Two weeks later, on August 16, he will officially launch his campaign at Vila Euclides Stadium in São Bernardo do Campo. Lula has increasingly concentrated both his presidential duties and campaign appearances in São Paulo in an effort to narrow the advantage historically enjoyed by Bolsonaro-backed candidates in the state. In 2018, PT candidate Fernando Haddad lost the presidential runoff to Jair Bolsonaro by roughly 8 million votes in São Paulo. In 2022, Lula also lost the state to then-President Jair Bolsonaro but reduced the margin to approximately 2.6 million votes in the runoff. In São Paulo, Lula’s campaign will be closely coordinated with Haddad’s gubernatorial bid under the slogan “Lula there, Haddad here.” During the PT’s state convention, members of the ticket highlighted the federal government’s achievements under Lula. Haddad’s ticket includes four former Lula cabinet ministers. Haddad himself served as finance minister, while his running mate is Márcio França, of the PSB, a former minister for entrepreneurship. The coalition’s Senate candidates are Simone Tebet, formerly planning minister, and Marina Silva, who previously served as environment minister. Speeches at the convention also featured criticism of the tariffs imposed by the U.S., Flávio Bolsonaro’s presidential campaign, and the broader Bolsonaro political movement. In his address, Haddad compared the São Paulo gubernatorial race to the 2022 presidential election, when Lula defeated Jair Bolsonaro nationally, and urged supporters to replicate that result. “It’s time to do the same in the state of São Paulo,” Haddad said. He also mocked efforts by São Paulo Governor and reelection candidate Tarcísio de Freitas, of the Republicans Party, and Flávio Bolsonaro to seek support from Argentine President Javier Milei, who attended the Liberal Party’s national convention and harshly criticized Federal Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.