In the midst of launching his re-election bid, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro lashed out at his strongest competitor, Lula da Silva, and the Supreme Court.
The president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaroattacked this Sunday against the Supreme Court and against the former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silvahis strongest rival, during the official launch of his candidacy for re-election.
The far-right leader was nominated during the convention of the Liberal Party (PL), which brought together more than 10,000 supporters in Rio de Janeiro and in which Army Reserve General Walter Souza Braga Netto was also confirmed as his vice-presidential candidate in the October 2 elections.
In the massive event, which dressed the Maracanazinho sports pavilion in the green and yellow colors of the flag, the president extended his criticism of Lula and the Federal Supreme Court, with whom he has had a strong dispute for years.
Attacks on Thursdays
Without directly mentioning the tensions that in recent days have once again brought him face to face with the Power of attorneythe leader of the extreme right exalted politicians who have been put behind bars for attacking the court, referring to the highest court in an ironic tone that heated up tempers in the room.
“Today we also know what the Federal Supreme Court is,” he said, while his supporters interrupted his speech with a loud boo and a chorus that repeated “the people are supreme.”
The former Army captain also launched himself against Lula and the workers party (PT), the formation led by the former trade unionist, who is a great favorite to reach the presidency, according to the polls.
Bolsonaro recalled the accusations that They even put Lula in jail and said that “in Brazil there was no investment in infrastructure because the priority was another: corruption.”
Alluding to the family and the defense of values, but without mentioning his name, Bolsonaro accused Lula of promote abortion and drugs and of wanting to “teach sex” to children through the “gender ideology” that, according to him, he wants to implement in schools if he comes to power.
“That same person who wants to legalize abortion in Brazil, that same person who wants to legalize drugs in Brazil, that same person who says that the war in Ukraine is resolved by drinking beer… Could it be that he knows what a mother suffers with a child drug addict?” Bolsonaro said reproachfully.
Ox and Bible
During his speech, which lasted more than an hour, the president also spoke about his meeting with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, which he considered necessary to “guarantee the food security of Brazil and the world”, for being the main supplier of fertilizers in the countrywhich is one of the largest food exporters on the planet.
He also insisted that his government “does everything possible” to preserve the Amazon, but recalled that 25 million people live there “that have to be protected by us”, a task that, he insisted, is carried out largely by the Army.
Bolsonaro, who leaned on the evangelicals to reach the Presidency in 2018, he also gave prominence to religion in the launching ceremony of his candidacy, which began with a prayer.
Breaking the protocols, he gave the first word to his wife, Michelle, who in a message with a high religious tone extolled the qualities of her husband, of whom she said “he is chosen by God” to guide Brazil.
A military vice instead of a woman
Unconditional loyalty weighed more for Bolsonaro when choosing his vice presidential ticket than the certainty that a woman would help him win votes from a population that has little sympathy with the machismo he boasts about and the misogyny he has preached throughout his political career.
In this way, he preferred the general Braga Nettoformer Minister of Defense and of the Presidency, instead of the former Minister of Agriculture, Tereza Cristina Correa, whose name sounded strong as a possible candidate for the Vice Presidency.
Ally and absolute defender of the Brazilian president, the military man shares with Bolsonaro devotion to the dictatorshipthe “iron hand” policy against crime, denialism in the face of covid-19 and distrust in the electronic voting system.