Former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) promoted national sovereignty, defended Petrobras and repeatedly talked in favor of job creation and the fight against hunger when he launched his pre-candidacy for the Presidency of the Republic this Saturday (7). Geraldo Alckmin (PSB) will be his vice president on the slate.
The PT sought to oppose the primary opponent in the dispute, President Jair Bolsonaro (PL), stating—without naming him by name—that he is authoritarian and attacks sovereignty, democracy, and institutions. He accused him of lying to hide his incompetence and of destroying what was achieved during the the Workers' party years in government.
The speech chose topics such as inflation, misery, and unemployment to harass Bolsonaro. With skyrocketing fuel prices and Petrobras' price policy challenges, Lula defended energy sovereignty and blamed the current government for dismantling the company.
PT also spoke in defense of the environment and the Amazon, with the transition to a new model of sustainable development, income distribution, investments in education, sanitation, and housing, the resumption of consumption, and the recognition of culture as an important sector.
The former president also recognized indigenous peoples, women, blacks, and the LGBTQIA+ population, parts of the electorate in which Bolsonaro has his highest rejection rates. In a nod to evangelical voters, he said that "he who is unable to shed a single tear in the face of human beings rummaging through garbage in search of food, or of the more than 660,000 Brazilians killed by Covid but says he is a Christian, is not worthy of being called a ruler. He has no love for his neighbor".
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon