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Former president and presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva visited the Alemão neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro. The campaign has become violent between supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro and Lula, so the Workers’ Party (PT) has moderated its speech in order to try to win back undecided voters.
With the RFI correspondent in Rio de Janeiro, Sarah Cozzolino.
During Lula’s passage through the streets of the Alemão favela, this Wednesday, October 12, the Brazilian national anthem resounds, a patriotic symbol that Jair Bolsonaro’s side has sought to appropriate.
“I think that it is necessary to show the face of a plural campaign, of a democratic front that Lula has managed to mobilize. It is important that they understand it that way, ”Mónica, a supporter of the former president, dressed in white, tells RFI.
Juliana is a resident of the “Ciudad de Dios” neighborhood. She would have preferred the party’s historic color to be used: red. “It’s a shame. Red has always been the color of union federations, of the Workers’ Party. It’s a shame to have to restrict yourself in such a historic election,” she says.
Candidates focused on the popular sectors
According to Lula, who is seeking to expand his electorate, the elections do not oppose left and right, but rather democracy and authoritarianism.
“We don’t have a big advantage. That’s why every vote counts. Bolsonaro’s campaign has been very aggressive, and is becoming more and more so. The battle will be fought until the last day”, says Ana, another militant. For her, it is necessary to focus on the 30 million abstentionists and on the popular sectors.
This Friday Jair Bolsonaro will also visit the poor neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, together with the governor.
