The ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da SilvaFavorite for the next elections in Brazilhas provoked President Jair Bolsonaro’s far right with a defense of abortion that sparked the first controversy of a nascent campaign.
Poor women die trying to have an abortion because it’s illegal’, but ‘the ‘Madame’ can go to Paris or choose Berlin’, although ‘it should really be a public health issue that everything in the world has rights’ Lula explained this Tuesday.
“This agenda of the family, of values, is very backward and is being used by a man who has no morals for it,” he pointed out, in a clear reference to Bolsonaro, who aspires to renew his mandate next October with his support religious and ultra-conservative base.
These remarks did not go unnoticed by movements of the extreme right, which this Wednesday found a lead to attack Lula even more vigorously, whom they denigrate as a “communist” and “enemy of Christian values”.
Although the current president did not comment on this statement, one of the first to react was Eduardo Bolsonaro, one of his sons and a deputy, who published on social networks a video with Lula’s comment and open criticism of the progressive leader.
Lula does not think of an election in a Christian country that respects private property,” wrote the MP, listing some of the progressive leader’s proposals: “Nationalize privatized companies, confiscate arms, regulate the media, MPs and their families in their country to disrupt homes and now defend abortion.”
He was alluding to Lula’s intention to increase the role of the state through public corporations, to phase out the weapons that the Bolsonaro government allowed civilians to buy, and to adopt policies that would regulate and “democratize” the activities of the press “.
In the same week, Lula had also called on left-wing militants to protest, albeit in front of the houses of Conservative MPs.
If we record the address of each deputy and 50 people go to his house, not to insult him but to talk to him, his wife, the children and to disturb his peace, it would have more impact than holding a demonstration in Brasilia ” , he explained. .
Bolsonarian MP June Amaral responded to this proposal with a video on his social networks in which he showed himself with a gun and, after revealing his address, said, smiling and brandishing his revolver: “You can come, you will very welcome.”
For many die-hards, Lula has shown “his true colors.”
Damares Alveswho was Minister for Family and Human Rights until last week and left the government to seek a seat in Congress, claimed that “Lula’s agenda has always been the culture of death and violence”.
According to Alves, who is also an evangelical pastor, the next elections will be “between life protected from conception,” which Bolsonaro defends, and “the death of innocent children.”
This early campaign controversy comes as Lula is preparing to confirm Liberal Geraldo Alckmin as his running mate, a former opponent he has now addressed and who would instill some moderation in voters.
But if Lula runs against the Bolsonaro-led far right in the election, he will have to contend with some internal opposition within the Workers’ Party (PT) to his intention to field Alckmin as the vice presidential nominee.
The Socialist Party, which Alckmin has just joined, has announced an event next Friday at which he will officially propose his name as Lula’s partner in the elections.
This proposal must be discussed and approved by the PT, which will meet with its national leadership on April 24, a week before the date it plans to confirm Lula as its presidential nominee.
So far, the polls are repeating a scenario that has been envisioned for months, with Lula intending to vote above 40% despite Bolsonaro having surged from 25% to just under 30% of support in less than six months before the election.
With information from EFE