Lula calls allegations against son ‘speculation,’ admits former aide erred - Valor International

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Workers’ Party, PT) called the influence-peddling allegations against his son, Fábio Luís da Silva, known as Lulinha, “speculation,” but said his government would not interfere in the investigations.

He acknowledged, however, that the relationship between former chief aide Marco Aurélio Santana Ribeiro, known as Marcola, and lobbyist Roberta Luchsinger was “wrong.” Lula said he does not know the businesswoman, whom he at one point called a “crook.” He also defended Senator Jaques Wagner (PT of Bahia), who is under investigation in the Master case. On fiscal matters, he said he is not “worried” about public debt and that, in a potential new term, he does not intend to privatize the postal service Correios, but rather “restore it.”

Asked about his son, the president said he was “certain” of his innocence but denied shielding him. “Only he knows the truth. If he made a mistake, he’ll pay for it—there’s no other way. He won’t be protected,” Lula said in an interview with TV Globo following primetime newscast Jornal Nacional on Thursday (27).

Lula is the fourth guest in a series organized by the broadcaster. Renan Santos (Mission Party) appeared Wednesday, Ronaldo Caiado (Social Democratic Party, PSD) on Tuesday, and Romeu Zema (Novo Party) on Monday.

Lula drew an implicit contrast between his handling of the allegations and the way Jair Bolsonaro acted as president, when the Federal Police leadership changed hands repeatedly. “I won’t remove a Federal Police officer; I won’t take any action on my son’s behalf. He has an obligation not to have done anything wrong,” the president said. “There won’t be a millimeter of movement from the Planalto [Palace] to protect my son.”

Still, Lula made no secret of his displeasure over the publication of messages exchanged among his son, Marcola, and Luchsinger, and accused the Federal Police of leaking some of them to the press. He also admitted feeling “very depressed” and “upset” about the situation.

Seeking to limit the Planalto’s exposure in the scandal, Lula said he did not know the lobbyist, while criticizing the relationship between his former chief of staff and her. After his remarks, TV Globo’s fact-checking team, Fato ou Fake, found that Luchsinger’s Instagram profile includes at least three photos and a video showing her alongside the president.

Even so, Lula condemned the alleged relationship between Marcola and the lobbyist, calling it “completely wrong and inappropriate.” He stressed that his former chief of staff knows his own conduct was improper.

“Marcola was someone I trusted completely, but if he made a mistake, he’ll pay for it,” he said. Both his son and Marcola, Lula added, know they shouldn’t have made such mistakes.

The president called Luchsinger a “crook” and defended his administration, saying the messages do not constitute a crime and that no contract was signed with the executive branch. She is suspected of having tried to sell cannabidiol-based medicines to the Health Ministry.

“What we need to find out is this: did this woman manage to get the money released that she said she was pursuing? Is there proof that public funds were involved? Because that’s where the crime would be.” He also dismissed claims that he had offered her a government post. “All that’s missing is for her to say I offered her the Defense Ministry, command of the Navy, or the Air Force,” he said.

Turning to other alleged corruption scandals, Lula defended Wagner in the Master case, saying it has not been proven that the former government leader has any relationship with the failed financial institution. “His relationship is with Augusto Lima, who wasn’t at Master at the time,” he said. According to the Federal Police, the relationship between Lima and Wagner is marked by displays of affection and personal closeness.

Asked about the need for fiscal adjustment under a future government amid rising public debt, Lula said he was not worried about Brazil’s public debt, though he added that fiscal responsibility “guides” his life.

“I’m not worried about public debt. I inherited this government in January 2023 with a fiscal deficit of 2.8%. Do you know what the primary surplus will be this year? 0.1%,” he said. “If there’s anyone in this country who is fiscally responsible, it’s me,” he added, saying he wants to “bring down the trajectory of interest rates.”

On that note, the PT leader said he is not considering selling Correios, even though the state-owned postal service closed 2025 with a loss of R$8.5 billion; in this year’s first quarter alone, the loss was R$3.16 billion.

“I’m not considering selling Correios—I’m considering restoring Correios so it can provide quality service,” he said. He defended the company as vital to the country for its presence in every municipality and pledged to restore it if he wins another term.

Correios’ current management, Lula said, bears responsibility for streamlining the company’s finances. He added that if the company pursues partnerships with other firms, Brazilian or foreign, it will do so.

The president also addressed the backlog at the National Social Security Institute (INSS), saying he would announce next week that it has returned to “normal.” “The 45-day wait will affect just 251,000 people, which is normal,” he said. “We reached [in 2023] a backlog of 3 million people, and now we’re going to deliver a cleared backlog at Social Security.”

Valor reported that the INSS waiting list had fallen to its lowest level of Lula’s third term, though to a different figure than the one he cited: 1.282 million applications were awaiting review as of Monday, according to the latest data. In February, the backlog had hit a record 3.128 million pending applications.

Asked about violence in Bahia, Lula pushed back, calling characterizations of insecurity in the state “unfair.” Bahia has been governed by the PT for nearly 20 years. “No governor in Brazil has managed to solve the public security problem; none has managed to contain it,” Lula said.

The president also defended his record on education, citing the expansion of full-time schools and the Pé-de-Meia scholarship program. “If there’s one thing I’m proud of, it’s that Brazil has never had a president who cared for education the way I have.”

This article was translated from Valor Econômico using an artificial intelligence tool under the supervision of the Valor International editorial team to ensure accuracy, clarity, and adherence to our editorial standards. Read our Editorial Principles.