The dispute between Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and Jair Bolsonaro (PL) in the last election was studied in detail by political advisors to Argentine Sergio Massa, who gave him a detailed explanation of the route followed by the PT member to win the presidential race in Brazil.
The assessment of Massa’s advisors, the government candidate who is running in the second round in Argentina with the ultra-liberal Javier Milei, is that the Brazilian dispute left several lessons for the Peronist campaign for succession in the Casa Rosada.
Video: Massa and Milei will compete in the second round of the presidential election in Argentina
Milei has been compared to Bolsonaro – from whom he received declared support – for his arms agenda and conservative view on various issues of customs, such as abortion and sexual education in schools.
Politicians close to Massa say they are confident in the Peronist’s victory, but admit that it will be a “very even” dispute and decided in detail. In other words, exactly along the lines of what happened in Brazil in 2022, according to reports from Massa’s allies at CNN .
The analysis of the Brazilian election was carried out by Daniel Scioli, former governor of the province of Buenos Aires and still a political chief in the neighboring country. Today he serves as Argentina’s ambassador to Brazil.
Very close to Massa, he used the dispute between Lula and Bolsonaro to help the Peronist candidate anticipate mishaps in the direct clash with Milei.
Massa’s campaign wants to project the idea of “national unity” and strives to hide as much as possible the image of Kirchnerism, which has been worn down in recent years.
It is the same strategy explored by Lula when he brought the idea of a “broad front” to the presidential race, embraced the use of colors other than just PT red and tried to make the party flag less present in the campaign.
To the relief of those around Massa, Milei changed the emphasis of his campaign from the economic aspect to the arms and customs agenda. This allowed Massa to get out of a defensive posture, as Economy Minister of a country that boasts 140% inflation, and to exploit the fear campaign.
This strategy also follows the line adopted by Lula in 2022, who explored the thesis of risk to Brazilian democracy and recovered videos of Bolsonaro disdaining the Covid-19 pandemic.
This week, one of the videos going viral on Argentine social networks shows children watching – amazed – appearances of Milei on tablets and cell phones in which he attacks political rivals with insults and swear words.
Among the statements compiled are speeches by Milei against “shit leftists” and “that idiot who is in Rome”, in reference to Pope Francis, harshly criticized by the ultra-liberal. At the end of the video, a message appears: “Our children deserve a better example”.
The exploration of sensitive points in Milei’s campaign should not be abandoned, say Massa’s allies, but it will be necessary to accelerate the race for support.
Milei took the lead by sealing an agreement with Patricia Bullrich, a candidate who finished third in the first round. The expectation around Massa, however, is that the coalition led by Bullrich (Together for Change) will be fractured and there will be significant support for the Peronist.
Support is expected from important names from the Radical Civic Union (UCR) and the Civic Coalition (CC), which were part of Together for Change. The leader of the CC, Elisa Carrió, said this Wednesday (25) that she will not take a “leap into the void” by supporting Milei’s controversial ideas, such as the trade in human organs.
For Massa’s close allies, it is necessary to reinforce the idea of “unity of the country” against Milei and a movement that transcends the trenches of Peronism.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
