巴西大选开跑：卢拉承诺设公共安全部，治安议题主导选情

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Ricardo Stuckert President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Workers’ Party, PT) and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (Liberal Party, PL), the leading contenders in Brazil’s presidential race, formally launched their campaigns Sunday (16) in their respective political strongholds. In São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, where Lula began his union and political career, the president reached out to women and evangelical voters, defended his record and proposals on public security and urged supporters to compare his government’s results with those of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL). Flávio Bolsonaro, meanwhile, held his first campaign rally on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, in an event filled with references to his father. He also focused heavily on fighting violent crime, now voters’ main concern. Return to roots At Primeiro de Maio Stadium in the Vila Euclides neighborhood, where he rose to national prominence as a union leader in 1979, Lula began his seventh presidential campaign with repeated references to the Brazilian flag, the Diretas Já movement for direct presidential elections and the labor strikes of the 1970s and 1980s. The president devoted much of his speech to his past and to recounting his union and political career. Allies viewed the event as an effort to reconnect Lula with his origins as he enters what is expected to be his final presidential race. Proposals for a possible fourth term should be released in “ten or fifteen days,” he said. Foreign investors accelerate exit from stocks, FX ahead of election Flávio Bolsonaro fraudulently registered with rival party The president also appeared to heed advice from campaign strategists and allies to keep his remarks shorter and, despite the many references to the past, place greater emphasis on what lies ahead. President Lula spoke for 36 minutes and used the word “future” 23 times. That was nearly four times as often as at the PT’s national convention on Aug. 2, when a lengthy and unfocused speech raised concerns among allies that he had worn out the audience. On that occasion, Lula spoke for one hour and seven minutes and mentioned “future” only six times. Before thousands of supporters, the president said that, if reelected, he intends to “resolve some of the country’s dilemmas,” citing education as an example. He reviewed the expansion of universities, federal institutes and technical education under his governments and said that “investing in education is much cheaper than putting people in prison.” “We are going to give people opportunities to build another country, a more civilized one.” He also advocated expanding full-time education. Public security push Lula revived his pledge to create a Ministry of Public Security and promised additional measures aimed at organized crime and militias. He sought to link Bolsonaro’s political movement to organized crime, saying, without naming Jair Bolsonaro directly, that his opponents had distributed weapons and ammunition that ended up in the hands of criminal factions. As part of his security agenda, Lula promised to fight organized crime and militias by cutting off their financial resources. “It is easy to kill the criminal in a favela. The guy giving the orders is in the penthouse, in the gated community. We need to go after them if we want to deal with the ones below,” he said. “There are gangs that control neighborhoods, gangs that torment people’s lives, and we are going to free the people by arresting everyone who thinks they own a favela or a poor neighborhood.” “We are going to free the people by arresting those who think they own a favela.” Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva The president also cited the constitutional amendment proposal on public security now before Congress and indicated that Senate President Davi Alcolumbre (Brazil Union Party) supports efforts to advance the measure. He again raised the plan for a Public Security Ministry. Elsewhere in the speech, President Lula condemned violence against women. “It is unacceptable that we have not put an end to this violence.” The proposed end to the six-day workweek followed by one day off, one of the administration’s flagship causes, was not mentioned. Industry and sovereignty In defending national sovereignty, Lula said Brazil needs to “learn how to exploit rare earths.” “We do not want to export the raw mineral. We want to extract it, process it here and export it from here. To generate wealth,” he said, while calling for stronger investment in domestic industry. “I do not want anyone else exploiting our critical minerals. We are the ones who will exploit them for the benefit of the Brazilian people.” Brazilian flags were prominent throughout the rally. Some supporters wore them draped around their shoulders, while others carried signs defending national sovereignty. The flag appeared repeatedly in the stands and on the main stage, as Lula’s campaign sought to reclaim patriotic symbols long associated with the right. The president also compared economic indicators under his administration with those of Bolsonaro and urged party activists to be prepared to defend the PT government’s record. He criticized Flávio Bolsonaro without mentioning him by name. Dressed in light colors rather than the PT’s traditional red, Lula thanked his mother, “Lindu”, and paid tribute to Marisa Letícia, his former wife, who died in 2017. He also recalled having been imprisoned first under Brazil’s military dictatorship and later during the Car Wash investigation. Lula then criticized parts of the judiciary. He noted that while detained during the dictatorship he was allowed to attend his mother’s funeral, but while imprisoned from April 2018 to November 2019 he was not permitted to attend the funeral of his brother Genival Inácio da Silva, known as Vavá. He did not name Supreme Court Justice Dias Toffoli, who denied permission for him to attend while he was incarcerated. The stadium’s stands were packed with supporters, most wearing red shirts. Lula’s followers also occupied much of the field, although there was still room to move around easily. Appeals to women and evangelicals First lady Janja da Silva paid tribute to Marisa Letícia and devoted much of her speech to expressing admiration for Lula’s late wife. She also sang a gospel campaign jingle alongside evangelical pastor Kleber Lucas, in a direct appeal to Christian voters. The “Rap do Silva” was also performed at the rally, celebrating Lula’s working-class background. Vice President Geraldo Alckmin (Brazilian Socialist Party, PSB) used football analogies to defend democracy, national sovereignty and the government’s achievements. Greeted as a “comrade,” he received an enthusiastic reception and blamed the closure of auto plants on the Bolsonaro administration. Former Rio de Janeiro Governor Benedita da Silva (PT), now a Senate candidate, also defended democracy, as did former Finance Minister Fernando Haddad, who is running for governor of São Paulo. Flávio Bolsonaro Vittor Sales/Divulgação Bolsonaro legacy In Rio de Janeiro, Flávio Bolsonaro’s first campaign event, held on Copacabana Beach, centered on attacks against the Lula government and repeated references to former President Jair Bolsonaro. The rally, attended by senior PL figures, also included appeals to women voters and criticism of the Supreme Court. Alongside Flávio and his running mate, Alfredo Gaspar (PL), attendees included Rio Senate candidates Carlos Portinho and Carlos Jordy; gubernatorial ticket Douglas Ruas and Fernanda Louback; former health minister and federal lawmaker Eduardo Pazuello; Congressmen Sóstenes Cavalcante and Altineu Cortes; PL President Valdemar Costa Neto; and former minister and senator Rogério Marinho. The speeches shared one recurring theme: praise for Jair Bolsonaro. The former president is serving house arrest after being convicted by the Supreme Court of attempting a coup. Under an order by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, Bolsonaro is barred from taking part in political or electoral demonstrations or receiving visitors for that purpose until the end of this year’s election. Those restrictions were repeatedly cited at the rally, where speakers said they were carrying out a “mission” entrusted to them by the former president to elect Flávio. During the senator’s roughly 30-minute speech, recordings of several of his father’s statements were played over the sound system. Flávio wore a green-and-yellow shirt with the words “Brazil will win” printed on the back, identical to the one Jair Bolsonaro was wearing when he was stabbed in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, during the 2018 campaign. Defending his father was a theme throughout his remarks. “I don’t know why they are so afraid of this magical little word called Bolsonaro. There is no need to be afraid, only to show respect. Bolsonaro was never a threat to democracy, quite the opposite,” he said. Supreme Court criticism Flávio avoided subjects that could directly challenge the electoral process. He did not mention electronic voting machines, but made clear his opposition to the current composition of the Supreme Court. “I will appoint four Supreme Court justices. Men and women who are against abortion, against drugs and who will not persecute political opponents,” he said. The audience was estimated at 8,900 at its peak by the USP/Cebrap Political Debate Monitor and the NGO More in Common, with a margin of error putting the crowd at between 7,800 and 9,900. The project did not estimate attendance at Lula’s event because, researchers said, his campaign did not authorize drones to fly over the site. Crime agenda Public security was also central to Flávio’s speech. He again promised to lower the age of criminal responsibility and classify the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), Comando Vermelho and militias as terrorist organizations. The U.S. government’s classification of the PCC and Red Command as terrorist organizations recently caused another dispute between the Brazilian government and the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Brazil has also initiated a reciprocity process at the World Trade Organization in response to U.S. tariffs. “The current government picks fights with people who are far away, with countries 10,000 kilometers away, but it does not fight cellphone robbers, rapists or murderers,” Flávio said. “The current government picks fights with countries 10,000 kilometers away, but it does not fight cellphone robbers.” Flávio Bolsonaro Female voters Speakers at the rally also made a concerted appeal to women, a group in which opinion polls show Flávio trailing Lula. Former Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello made the most direct pitch. “Women are conservative by nature, more than men. Women are going to change this country, they are going to create a conservative wave that will sweep across this country,” he said. A Quaest poll released Friday (14) showed Lula with 39% support among female voters, compared with 28% for Flávio.