Minister Guilherme Boulos launched the Governo na Rua initiative on Saturday to broaden dialogue between the Lula government and the country's peripheral communities. The event took place in the Campo Limpo region of São Paulo, where Boulos criticized right-wing governors for their public security approaches. The action aims to strengthen ties with social movements one year before the 2026 elections.
Guilherme Boulos, PSOL minister of the Secretariat-General of the Presidency, launched the Governo na Rua initiative at an event in the Campo Limpo region, south zone of São Paulo, where he resides. The gathering, held on a soccer field surrounded by simple brick houses, brought together representatives from social movements such as waste pickers, app workers, youth, rap battles, and the MTST's experimental kitchen, a movement Boulos is part of.
In his speech, Boulos criticized Rio de Janeiro Governor Cláudio Castro (PL) and São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicanos) for their public security policies. He accused the right of exploiting the issue to wear down the Lula government and of having 'povofobia, fear of the people.' Referring to the mega police operation in Rio that left 121 dead, Boulos said: 'The Rio governor prefers to make demagoguery with blood, treating everyone in the community as if they were bandits. By the way, that's the same view as Governor Tarcísio de Freitas and many Bolsonaro governors.' He stressed that fighting crime requires 'courage to go after the big fish'.
Boulos denied any disconnection between the government and the peripheries, noting that Lula won the election by a wide margin among low-income voters earning up to two minimum wages. 'The left hasn't lost connection with society; that's why it won the last election with President Lula on popular votes,' he stated.
Among the announcements, the minister promised a participatory budget platform where the public can submit suggestions to the federal government to set priorities, with a launch planned for this year. He also pledged to bring the Reforma Casa Brasil program to the area, offering facilitated credit for home renovations for families earning up to R$ 9,600.
The event ended with a minute of silence for the victims of the extratropical cyclone in Paraná, which caused at least six deaths between Friday (7) and Saturday (8). Boulos' next schedules across the 26 states and the Federal District will be set after his participation in COP30 in Belém (PA), starting Sunday (9). The initiative is set to continue until May 2026.
Boulos was sworn in on October 29, replacing Márcio Macedo, aiming to enhance dialogue with social movements, re-energize the base, especially youth, and boost combativeness on social media and in the streets.