Brazil’s Lula launches fourth-term bid, focuses on national sovereignty

Lula has sought to usage the Bolsonaro family’s narration with Trump to formed the predetermination arsenic a prime betwixt nationalist independency and submission to overseas interests.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has formally launched his run for a 4th term.

On Sunday, Workers’ Party supporters filled a Sao Paulo normal centre with reddish flags and chants of “Lula” arsenic the 80-year-old person – who returned to powerfulness successful 2023 aft serving 2 erstwhile presumption from 2003 to 2010 – announced that helium was moving for the presidency for a seventh time.

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He told supporters that, should helium triumph the October election, it would beryllium his last term.

Lula speaks during the Workers’ Party nationalist normal successful Sao Paulo, Brazil, connected August 2, 2026 [Miguel Schincariol/AFP]

Rather than focusing connected his home record, Lula’s code highlighted Brazil’s spot successful an progressively unstable world. He called for much defence spending and promised to support Brazil’s reserves of uncommon earths and different captious minerals from overseas control.

“I privation to beryllium prepared, truthful that nary 1 invades this country,” Lula said.

He besides warned that China, the United States and France would not beryllium allowed entree to Brazil’s mineral wealthiness without respecting the country’s sovereignty.

Trump’s shadiness looms implicit the election

Lula’s connection reflects increasing tensions betwixt Brasilia and Washington. The United States imposed 2 rounds of tariffs connected Brazilian goods successful July, citing unfair commercialized practices, an accusation rejected by the Brazilian government.

Trump has besides maintained adjacent ties with the household of Lula’s main challenger, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the eldest lad of erstwhile President Jair Bolsonaro.

“In Brazil, we bash not judge anyone sticking their chemoreceptor wherever it does not belong,” Lula told the convention.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva talks to US President Donald Trump [Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP]

Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, emerged arsenic the right’s starring campaigner aft his begetter was convicted of plotting to overturn the 2022 predetermination effect and forestall Lula from taking office.

Lula has sought to usage the Bolsonaro family’s narration with Trump to formed the predetermination arsenic a prime betwixt nationalist independency and submission to overseas interests. He has described Flavio Bolsonaro arsenic a “traitor to the nation”, an accusation the legislator denies.

Leonardo Paz, a governmental subject prof astatine the Getulio Vargas Foundation, told the AFP quality bureau that the sovereignty statement had arrived astatine a utile infinitesimal for the president.

“The sovereignty connection comes astatine the cleanable clip for Lula,” Paz said, adding that it allowed him to place an outer force and blasted it for immoderate of Brazil’s problems.

A caller Datafolha survey placed Lula up successful a imaginable second-round contention against Flavio Bolsonaro, 48 percent to 43 percent, respectively. The borderline remains constrictive successful a state profoundly divided betwixt supporters of the left-wing president and the Bolsonaro movement.

Domestic pressures remain

Lula tin constituent to economical growth, precocious employment and societal programmes that supporters accidental person improved the lives of poorer Brazilians. At the convention, societal idiosyncratic Cristiane Rosa Julho told AFP that Lula’s policies had enabled her household to ain a location for the archetypal clip successful generations.

However, rising surviving costs and concerns implicit the nationalist shortage stay important weaknesses for the government.

Crime is besides expected to beryllium a large predetermination issue, peculiarly successful communities wherever organised transgression groups workout sizeable control.

Corruption investigations, meanwhile, person reached some camps: Flavio Bolsonaro is nether scrutiny implicit alleged efforts to unafraid backing from a banker accused of fiscal fraud, portion 1 of Lula’s sons is being investigated implicit suspected corruption and power peddling.

Lula besides addressed concerns implicit whether his precocious property could bounds his quality to service different term. He told supporters that regular walking and spot grooming had near him “in large shape” and fitter than erstwhile helium archetypal won the presidency successful 2002.

For Lula, acquisition is apt to beryllium 1 of the campaign’s cardinal arguments. His opponents, however, volition question to marque the predetermination a judgement connected the outgo of living, nationalist information and the governmental controversies surrounding his government.