Campaign launch and military emphasis
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva outlined a plan to boost defense investment during his re-election campaign at the Workers' Party's national convention in São Paulo. Speaking at the Expo Center Norte, he stressed the need to strengthen Brazil's defenses not as a preparation for war, but for peace. His comments seem to indirectly reference the US military operation in Caracas that briefly captured Nicolás Maduro on January 3. During the event, Lula urged his supporters to take national defense seriously, pointing to successful military-industrial developments in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan as models to follow.
Geopolitical and historical context
Lula acknowledged the deep-rooted distrust some Brazilians still hold from the 1964-1985 military dictatorship. However, he argued that the country's vast population, massive territorial size, and long coastline demand strong defense. He criticized NATO for significantly increasing military spending and emphasized Brazil's right to control its own resources, particularly its extensive reserves of rare earths and critical minerals. International assessments rank Brazil among the top holders of these materials, second only to China, and Lula stressed that their extraction and processing should rely on national technological capabilities, calling them a part of the country's heritage.
Campaign coalition and event highlights
The Workers' Party officially announced a unified ticket for the presidential election with Lula as the candidate and Geraldo Alckmin as his running mate. The campaign coalition includes seven parties: PT, PSB, PSOL, Rede, PV, PCdoB, and PDT. Party leader Edinho Silva confirmed the endorsement at the event, which kept its tone subdued and focused on brief, shareable speeches. Before speaking, Lula highlighted the lack of female representation and handed the mic to his wife, Rosângela Lula da Silva, who is leading a national initiative to combat femicide. Geraldo Alckmin and gubernatorial candidate Fernando Haddad also delivered remarks. Lula, now 80, avoided direct attacks on his opponents and claimed his campaign would be the only one not to rely on lies. He made a brief, lighthearted comment about Donald Trump but otherwise avoided addressing the former president’s recent tariff policies.
The official campaign kickoff is set for August 16 at Vila Euclides stadium in São Bernardo do Campo. Polls currently show Lula leading over Flávio Bolsonaro, his primary challenger. Meanwhile, legal proceedings are underway following a Supreme Federal Court decision to investigate Lula's eldest son for alleged influence-peddling. The court’s authorization came last week, but the president made no public comment on the matter during the event. The convention concluded with a focus on unity, strategy, and the upcoming electoral battle.