Lula campaigns in Bahia, avoids questions on son's government actions

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva engaged in a campaign event in Salvador, Bahia, alongside Governor Jerônimo Rodrigues, who is seeking re-election. The event, initially slated to include a joint interview with supporting candidates, shifted to a presidential address where Lula highlighted his administration's accomplishments, particularly those benefiting Bahia, such as the establishment of higher education institutions.

Notably, Lula sidestepped direct questions from journalists concerning the actions of his son, Fábio Luís, and lobbyist Roberta Luchsinger within the Workers' Party (PT) government. This avoidance followed a TV Globo interview the previous night where Lula stated he did not know Luchsinger. However, numerous photos of Luchsinger alongside Lula have circulated on social media.

In an attempt to clarify the president's earlier statement, Lula's campaign team issued a note on Friday. The statement explained that posing for photos with public figures at events does not signify a personal, professional, or political relationship. It reiterated that Lula maintains no connection with Roberta Luchsinger and has never communicated with her, framing the photos as mere public interactions.

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Kiss on the heart, you can ask later.

At the conclusion of his speech, Lula bid farewell to attendees and invited them to join him for a walk in the Liberdade neighborhood of Salvador. His parting words, "Kiss on the heart, you can ask later," suggested a deferral of any further questioning.

The president's campaign strategy in Bahia focused on promoting his government's record, while carefully navigating potentially controversial topics related to his family and their alleged influence within his administration.

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The president Lula is a public figure who, throughout his career and especially during campaigns and public events, is approached by numerous people for photographic records. The existence of these records does not mean a personal, professional, or political relationship. This was the meaning of the president's answer in the interview to Jornal Nacional: Lula does not maintain any relationship with Roberta Luchsinger and has never had any interaction with her.