RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Ex-president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT – Worker’s Party) and ex-Minister Ciro Gomes (PDT- Democratic Labor Party) rehearsed a rapprochement at a meeting held in September at the Lula Institute’s headquarters.
Since the 2018 elections, when the attempt to reach an electoral agreement for the presidency failed, the two spoke of the need for the left to join forces following President Jair Bolsonaro’s victory, but failed to draw up joint plans for the 2022 elections.
The meeting was mediated by Ceará Governor Camilo Santana (PT), concerned about the climate between the two parties in the state.
The leftist governor defends a non-aggression pact in Ceará, where the PDT and the PT are opponents in the race for the mayoralty of the capital city of Fortaleza.
Before the meeting was held, Ciro often said he was willing to talk at Camilo’s request, one of the meeting’s attendees. According to the PDT’s national president, Carlos Lupi, who followed negotiations at a distance, Ciro repeated that Camilo is very concerned with the political scenario.
“The focus is on Ceará,” said Lupi, without ruling out the preparation of punctual agreements between the two parties in the second round of municipal elections.
According to reports, the two lamented the strained relationship between the parties. Ciro complained of attacks by the PT. Among the points of friction was the PT’s articulation to preclude the PSB’s alliance with the PDT in the 2018 presidential elections.
In turn, Ciro traveled after the defeat and refused to support Fernando Haddad’s candidacy in the second round against President Jair Bolsonaro. Nowadays, the two recognize that the lack of unity guaranteed Bolsonaro’s accession to the Planalto Palace.