Lula promises Ministry of Public Security, reinforces alliance with Paes at Rio campaign rally

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva rallied supporters in Rio de Janeiro, promising to tackle crime by creating a Ministry of Public Security. Speaking at the Moça Bonita stadium in Bangu, Lula vowed to remove criminals and reclaim public spaces for the people.

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We will remove the bandit from your territory and return the territory to the people of Rio de Janeiro. Rest assured, we will do this without carnival, without pyrotechnics.

"We will remove the bandit from your territory and return the territory to the people of Rio de Janeiro. Rest assured, we will do this without carnival, without pyrotechnics," Lula declared. He added, "We will say: the street belongs to the people, the neighborhood belongs to the people, the school belongs to the people, the bakery belongs to the people, not the bandit."

Lula also praised the interim governor of Rio de Janeiro, Ricardo Couto, for his work. He suggested that if elected, Eduardo Paes, the candidate for governor and former mayor, would need to continue the "cleaning" initiated by Couto. Lula likened Couto's efforts to scrubbing a dirty cast-iron pot with sand.

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We will say: the street belongs to the people, the neighborhood belongs to the people, the school belongs to the people, the bakery belongs to the people, not the bandit.

The rally saw participation from federal deputies Benedita da Silva and Pedro Paulo, who are running for Senate seats. The event took place amidst a significant electoral mobilization in Rio, with Lula's rival, Flávio Bolsonaro, holding a separate rally at the Maracanãzinho gymnasium.

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You [Paes] will take over a state already with a good cleaning. You know that cast-iron pot made on a wood stove, all dirty with smoke, you have to wash it with sand? The governor is putting sand on it.