Opposition accuses Lula of racism and machismo after speaking about young black girl

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) is the target of criticism for racism during a speech alongside a young black woman during the announcement of Volkswagen do Brasil’s New Investment Cycle, on Friday (2), at the automaker’s factory in São Bernardo do Campo, a city in the ABC region of São Paulo, considered the PT member’s political birthplace.

The president arrived to announce Volkswagen’s R$16 billion investment in the automobile sector in an open car prepared for Lula’s parade in front of the workers. But the PT member “slipped” on the stage, in the opinion of his opponents, when he referred to a 20-year-old black girl as “Afro-descendant as she likes batuque and drums”, in addition to insinuating that the girl could even date him.

The young woman is Volkswagen do Brasil’s specialist operator, Luiza Eduarda Leôncio, who won the automaker’s 2023 best apprentice award to represent the country at an automotive sector event in Wolfsburg, Germany.

“I was asking what this girl is doing sitting, I haven’t heard anyone say her name. She is a singer, she will sing, but there will be no music. So she’s going to beat something because an Afro-descendant likes a drum to beat. Neither. So she is someone’s girlfriend. It’s not either. Who is this girl? This girl was awarded as the company’s most important apprentice and won an award in Germany. This is what we want to do for people in this country”, said Lula, saying that the country needs to invest in education to have other young apprentices with the same success in the job market.

On social media, Lula’s speech was criticized for racism in the opinion of members of opposition parties. “Lula is not innocent at all. Instead of honoring the young woman with the award, he limited her to a prejudiced and mediocre vision. And not long ago Lula thanked Africa for everything that was produced during 350 years of slavery”, said senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) in a post on social media this Saturday (4).

Lula’s statement recalled by the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) took place in July last year, during a presidential trip to the African continent in a speech alongside the president of Cape Verde, José Maria Neves. “Our culture, color and size are the result of miscegenation between Indians, blacks and Europeans. We have deep gratitude to the African continent for everything that was produced during 350 years of slavery in our country”, said President Lula at the time, who was not even criticized by the black movements in Brazil.

Former federal deputy Deltan Dallagnol (Novo-PR) also used social media to criticize the statements and also the left’s stance of not taking a position on the PT leader’s speeches. “Lula’s speech will probably be left without notes of repudiation and without hashtags on Twitter from those who claim to defend minorities. In Brazil, it doesn’t matter what is said, but who says it.”

At the end of the speech on ABC, Lula even asked the young woman if she wanted to date him. “She doesn’t want to because there are better things on the market. She doesn’t want to because I have Janja too,” she replied. For the pre-candidate for Mayor of São Paulo, economist Maria Helena (Novo-SP), in addition to racism, Lula also had a stance that could be classified as sexist. “Racism and machismo are condemned by the left. Except when it’s Lula who commits it”, she criticized on social media.