The president of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has already received the formal support of the Workers' Party (PT) to seek re-election for a fourth term in the elections on October 4, once the national congress of the party held in Sao Paulo concluded this Sunday.
During his acceptance speech, Lula warned that if he wins at the polls again, he will show his most forceful side to finish shaping the country's direction. "I don't want a pacifist Lula. I want a tough Lula, who does what we (the PT) have not finished doing, because we have already taken care of the basics," he stated.
The Brazilian leader assured that he will exercise power with total transparency and will never resort to lying, in direct reference to his opponents. "Everyone knows that we are the only candidate who doesn't have to lie or invent anything in this campaign. We don't have to invent anything to tell the people. Those who have done so can promise more. Those who haven't done so have nothing to promise," he affirmed, in a speech filled with nods to football, the national sport, and to one of its greatest legends.
"Pelé only played four World Cups. This is my seventh World Cup, and I want the fourth title," Lula proclaimed, before admitting that a potential fourth term could lead him to a head-on clash with the Brazilian Congress, after months of friction over the limits of presidential powers.
As an example of this institutional tension, it is recalled that Lula proposed Attorney General Jorge Messias to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court, but his candidacy was rejected by the full Senate.
"I cannot allow the president to lose his rights. The right to appoint a Supreme Court justice, to appoint a director. In other words, what rights will the President of the Republic have in a short time?" he has questioned.
In this new electoral cycle, Da Silva presents himself as a reference for the left in Latin America against the emerging leaders of the regional right, including the elected president of Colombia, Abelardo De la Espriella, and its most visible figure today, Argentine president Javier Milei. The latter caused a serious diplomatic rift between Buenos Aires and Brasilia last weekend after insulting the Brazilian president during his tumultuous visit to Brazil to support Lula's main opponent, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro.
Lula arrives at the electoral race in a advantageous position, largely because Flávio is not managing to articulate a solid coalition of parties around him, burdened by the influence of his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year sentence at home for attempted coup d'état.
However, Brazilian citizens show a notable rejection towards both contenders. A survey by Datafolha released on the 24th revealed that 46% of respondents said they would not vote for the PT candidate under any circumstances, while 48% expressed the same negative regarding Flávio.
According to the same survey, Lula concentrates 40% of the voting intentions for the first round, placing eight points ahead of Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, who reaches 32%. In the previous study, published on June 20, the president recorded 41% and the senator, 31%. Just like in 2022, Geraldo Alckmin will repeat as the candidate for the Vice Presidency.