PT anniversary: ​​Lula criticizes Bolsonaro and strokes Dirceu – 02/13/2023 – Politics

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) took advantage of his party’s anniversary celebration to attack his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro (PL), calling him a genocide who was elected on the basis of a lie.

“I’m going to fight for our party and we’re going to fight for the Brazilian people, so that a genocide never wins elections based on lies and the industry of lies,” said Lula, on Monday night (13), in Brasília.

The event was also attended by other party leaders, such as former president Dilma Rousseff (PT) and had former minister José Dirceu as one of the main protagonists.

Mentioned in the speeches of PT’s representative and national president, Gleisi Hoffmann, Dirceu, Lula’s main assistant in his first presidential victory, in 2002, was one of the most applauded in the act that celebrated the party’s 43rd anniversary.

The politician maintains wide influence within the party, but has opted out of the spotlight in recent years after being arrested for the monthly allowance scandal.

He circulated with ease at the event and militants lined up to greet him and to take a photo with the most powerful minister of Lula’s first administration, in 2003.

Dirceu’s strength within the PT was clear at various times this year, after Lula took office. His son and political heir, Deputy Zeca Dirceu (PT-PR), for example, was nominated to be the leader of the PT group in the Chamber.

On the New Year’s Eve night hosted by the criminalist Antônio Carlos de Almeida de Castro, known as Kakay, on December 31, several demonstrations of Dirceu’s influence on the PT were also given.

The celebration brought together members of the team of Lula’s third government, including ministers. Speaking minutes before the turn of the year, the host described Dirceu as the greatest politician in the history of Brazil.

When speaking at the anniversary of the PT this Monday, Lula mentioned Dirceu.

“Comrades and companions, I want to thank each one of you, women and men. Comrade José Dirceu, thank you because I know how much you were supportive of what I went through. I want to thank all the presidents of the party and here I am seeing the Gleisi and Rui Falcão, José Dirceu and I was president [do partido]”, he said.

Dilma, in turn, received a standing ovation and had her name shouted by those present when she was mentioned in a video about the political history of the party.

Some historical figures of the party were present at the event, but who were away from political activities and even from the current Lula government, after being the targets of corruption allegations.

Former party president José Genoino, also convicted in the monthly allowance case, recorded a video that was broadcast during the act, in which he stated that the party needs to “update its political line” and that the Lula government 3 “can’t go wrong” .

“This great project is worth strengthening. We have to update our political line and change the methods of organization so that the PT is up to the task of building a pole to the left at this moment when we will need to not make mistakes in serving the poorer, excluded population, women, indigenous people, LGBTQIA+, the new working class, the fight against racism and for national sovereignty,” he said.

Ricardo Berzoini, also former president of the PT, stated that the current government will face difficulties, as it has a very “heterogeneous” support base.

“That we have this awareness that this government is going to be a difficult government, with a very heterogeneous base. So the PT needs to build its path, together with the government, but its own path within this process, to prepare the future” , he stated.

The atmosphere at the celebration of the PT’s first anniversary after the party’s return to power was festive.

After a period of low popularity due to the economic crisis triggered by the Dilma government and the impeachment of the former president, the party returned to the Planalto Palace this year with Lula’s victory in the 2022 election.

The petista was ineligible for the conviction in Lava Jato, but was politically rehabilitated by the STF (Federal Supreme Court) and was able to run for president last year.

At the entrance to the caption’s anniversary, street vendors sold dolls with Lula’s face and said that the piece served to “expel fascism and Bolsonarism”, in reference to former President Bolsonaro.

T-shirts and other objects with reference to the president were also sold and, when Lula went up on stage, the militancy chanted campaign chants.

Several ministers and parliamentarians were on the stage where Lula spoke.

In the center of the space, however, seats were reserved for just four people: Lula, Dilma, Gleisi, and Paulo Okamotto, the new president of the Perseu Abramo Foundation.