Brazil's BNDES chief urges full effort for Lula's re-election

Aloizio Mercadante, the president of Brazil's National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), rallied supporters at President Lula's re-election campaign launch, urging them to dedicate themselves fully to the cause. "Now is the time to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner: 'It's Lula, it's Brazil'," Mercadante declared at the event in São Bernardo do Campo, emphasizing the urgency of securing Lula's victory.

Mercadante, who previously coordinated Lula's 2022 government plan, is not holding a formal campaign role this time but remains a vocal advocate. He has recently been critical of Lula's main rival, Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro. Mercadante accused the previous administration of weakening the BNDES, particularly its export support functions, and questioned Flávio Bolsonaro's proposal to share strategic mineral information with the United States, deeming it a threat to national sovereignty.

“

A democracia e a soberania do Brasil dependem de cada um de nós. Agora é tomar café, almoçar e jantar: ‘É Lula, é Brasil’

The campaign launch took place at Vila Euclides Stadium, a site historically significant for Lula, having hosted major metalworkers' strikes in the 1970s during the military dictatorship. The event aimed to evoke nostalgia for Lula's nearly 50-year political career while also looking toward the future. President Lula is expected to address key issues, potentially including recent oil discoveries in the Amazon basin, and the campaign plans to focus significant attention on the Southeast region in its initial phase.

“

A realidade é que, durante o governo do pai dele (Jair Bolsonaro), o BNDES foi esvaziado e fragilizado, em especial a área de apoio às exportações de empresas brasileiras, que sofreu desmonte e teve os recursos destinados a viabilizar a venda de produtos brasileiros no exterior drasticamente reduzidos