Booed at a meeting with Lula, the president of the Paulinho da Força party says it is necessary to re-discuss the relationship with the PT
The president of Solidarity, deputy Paulinho da Força (SP), canceled the event in which the party would formally support the candidacy of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT) to the Presidency of the Republic. The decision was taken after he was booed by PT militants at a meeting between Lula and unionists this Thursday (Apr.14, 2022).
Watch the moment when the deputy is booed (1min9s):
Solidarity intended to declare formal support on 3 May. The idea was for its main chiefs to participate in the launch of Lula’s and vice-president’s ticket. Geraldo Alckmin (PSB) on May 7 already as allies. Paulinho da Força says, however, that the acronym will no longer be present.
“I am an expert in these things. Say it’s all right here and tell your friends downstairs to boo. Our relationship with the PT is not good. We need to have a more serious discussion about what the PT wants. If you don’t want support, just let us know, we’re not wasting time”he said.
Paulinho participated in Lula’s meeting with the country’s main trade unions. He didn’t actually speak, but when his name was mentioned by others, there were boos. He was one of the main opponents of the PT when the party was in government and voted for the impeachment of the former president. Dilma Rousseff (EN), in 2016.
THE Power 360 asked the deputy if he believes that support for Dilma’s impeachment years ago could have motivated the boos. He said the hostility could have come “of those people who do not forget the past”.
“It could be those people who don’t forget the past, it could just be that they try to antagonize people to maintain the hegemony of a group there. But I only know that, as he was a militant, he was not spontaneous. People do not control themselves, but militants do”he said.
The deputy stated that he would still like to support Lula’s candidacy and said he understood that, in order to defeat the president, Jair Bolsonaro (PL) in its attempt to be reelected, it is necessary to expand alliances beyond the left, with political forces of the center. “As they treat me this way, can you imagine how they will treat others?”he asked.
The deputy said that he informed the PT president, Gleisi Hoffmann, on the morning of this Friday (15.Apr.2022) about the cancellation of the event. She called him right away. According to Paulinho, the PT member also said that she was embarrassed by the boos. The deputy then asked why she did not contain the militants. She would have replied that she hadn’t had that idea at the time.
The deputy also stated that the conversation he had with the Civil House minister, Ciro Nogueirathis Friday about being able to support Bolsonaro was in a tone of “Just kidding”. The website the antagonist released an audio in which Nogueira invited Paulinho to join him in supporting the president’s reelection.
In response, also released by the the antagonistthe deputy says he would be “Starting to think about joining this block there”.
“Ciro is a great friend that I have had for a long time. Regardless of government, we are very good friends. It was kind of joking that he called me and I replied jokingly”said the deputy to the Power 360.
The secretary general of Força Sindical, João Carlos Gonçalves, known as Juruna, ruled out the possibility of breaking with Lula and the PT at this moment, but stressed that the party needs to “know how to treat your allies”.
“I think it’s more pressure. No breakup. The PT leadership has to teach alliances to its members, know how to treat them”, he said. Paulinho is honorary president of the entity.
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