Between rock and Psalms, an anti-system candidate officializes his bid for Brazil's presidency

Renan Santos, an anti-establishment figure and digital strategist, officially declared his candidacy for the presidency of Brazil on Saturday, hosting a vibrant rally in São Paulo. The event, held nearly two months before the October elections, was a spectacle of rock music, biblical references, dazzling light shows, and an open bar, drawing a crowd predominantly composed of men aged 20 to 40.

Attendees, dressed in yellow and black – the colors of Santos's newly formed political party, Missão – eagerly acquired merchandise, including t-shirts designed in the style of American football jerseys, plush jaguars (the party's symbol), and identification tags for pets. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation for Santos, who, at 42, is aspiring to the presidency without prior experience in elected office, despite having previously led protests that contributed to the impeachment of former President Dilma Rousseff.

Santos's running mate, military officer Aroldo Medina, kicked off the event with a speech heavily critical of the leading candidates, current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro. Medina used a broom as a prop, declaring, "We are going to clean Brazil of all the dirt." This theme of "cleaning up" was echoed by Santos himself when he took the stage.

In his inaugural speech as a candidate, Santos positioned himself as the "only" one capable of defeating Lula in a potential second round of voting. He directly attacked Flávio Bolsonaro, labeling him "corrupt" and a "traitor," and declared, "Both must go into the dustbin of history together." Santos's discourse was infused with spiritual messages, referring to his supporters as the "chosen" to govern. He issued stark threats against organized crime, stating, "I tell you: Kill me, because if I get (to power), not one will remain."

The crowd responded with fervor, chanting a campaign slogan: "detuvo, mató" (stopped, killed), which encapsulates his proposed security policy. This policy advocates for declaring a "war on crime" from day one of his mandate, authorizing security forces to treat organized crime as "enemies" of state sovereignty. The rally also served as a platform to present "The Yellow Book," a 14-chapter management plan considered the first stage of a new constitution.

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detuvo, mató