Lula promises to resolve security issues without fanfare, says Paes will continue interim cleanup in RJ

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva vowed to tackle crime in Rio de Janeiro with a direct, no-nonsense approach, promising to remove criminals and return public spaces to the people. Speaking at a campaign rally at the Moça Bonita stadium in Bangu, Lula stated his intention to act decisively.

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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 emphasized that streets, neighborhoods, and schools should belong to the people, not to criminals.

The president also endorsed Eduardo Paes, the candidate for governor and former mayor, urging him to continue the "cleaning" efforts initiated by the interim governor, Ricardo Couto. Lula likened Couto's work to scrubbing a dirty cast-iron pot with sand, suggesting a thorough and necessary process.

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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 was attended by various political allies, including federal deputies Benedita da Silva and Pedro Paulo, who are running for Senate seats. The event occurred on a day of significant political activity in Rio, with Lula's rival, Flávio Bolsonaro, holding a separate rally.

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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.