Brazil’s presidential palace mobilizes supporters for September 7 event but bans political propaganda

Brazil’s presidential palace is working to fill the stands at the September 7 celebration in Brasília with social movements and supporters of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The government wants the official event to serve as a display of strength.

The mobilization comes as Lula’s opponent, Flávio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party, plans to call supporters into the streets against the president and, now, against Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.

Because the event takes place in an electoral context, the Planalto Palace is taking care to avoid legal problems. Its invitation to supporters emphasizes that political advertising of any kind is prohibited. Officials have specifically barred stickers, campaign leaflets and similar material, as well as flags brought for political purposes.

The government hopes to fill stands that were largely empty last year. Staff assigned to the event were instructed to wear Brazil shirts or clothing in the national colors. The mobilization is being coordinated by the Presidential General Secretariat, led by Guilherme Boulos, together with the Presidential Communications Secretariat and the Institutional Security Office.

The article recalls that the September 7 event in 2022 contributed to Jair Bolsonaro being declared ineligible by Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court after allegations of abuse of power and the use of public money in campaigning.