We will not allow this thief to return to the scene of the crime
Em Campinas, cidade onde afirma ter raízes de infância, o presidente Jair Bolsonaro subiu ao palanque num sábado de setembro para falar aos seus apoiadores sobre o que chamou de uma escolha civilizatória. Com linguagem sem meias-palavras, atacou o ex-presidente Lula e declarou certeza de vitória no primeiro turno — mesmo com as pesquisas apontando em direção contrária. O comício revelou não apenas o tom da campanha em sua reta final, mas também a distância entre a narrativa de um candidato e os números que o desafiam.
- Bolsonaro chamou Lula repetidamente de 'o maior ladrão da humanidade', elevando a temperatura retórica da campanha a um nível de confronto pessoal direto e sem qualificações.
- As acusações de corrupção no BNDES e em ministérios durante os governos petistas foram usadas como combustível para mobilizar a base presente no Largo do Rosário, em Campinas.
- A distância entre a confiança declarada no palanque e os dados das pesquisas — que colocavam Bolsonaro em segundo lugar — criou uma tensão visível entre narrativa e realidade eleitoral.
- Ao evocar sua infância na cidade e seu registro de nascimento no município, Bolsonaro tentou transformar um comício de campanha em um reencontro afetivo com raízes locais.
- Com o primeiro turno marcado para 2 de outubro, a retórica inflamada sinaliza que as semanas finais da disputa serão de confronto crescente entre os dois principais candidatos.
No sábado de manhã, Jair Bolsonaro chegou ao Largo do Rosário, em Campinas, sobre um caminhão elétrico, para um comício de vinte minutos que resumiu o espírito da campanha presidencial brasileira de 2022 em sua reta final. Diante de apoiadores, o presidente não poupou palavras: chamou Lula de 'o maior ladrão da humanidade' e repetiu a acusação em diferentes formas ao longo do discurso, enquadrou a eleição como uma escolha entre deter um criminoso ou permitir seu retorno ao poder.
As críticas se concentraram em supostos desvios no BNDES e em outros órgãos do governo durante as gestões petistas. 'Não vamos permitir que esse ladrão volte à cena do crime', disse Bolsonaro, numa frase que ecoou pelo largo em variações sucessivas. Para reforçar o vínculo com a cidade, ele mencionou ter morado em Campinas na infância, na casa da avó na Avenida Barão do Itapura, e ter seu registro de nascimento no município — detalhes que buscavam aproximá-lo do eleitorado local.
O que tornou o momento politicamente revelador foi o contraste entre a certeza exibida no palanque e o que as pesquisas indicavam: Bolsonaro aparecia em segundo lugar nas intenções de voto. Ainda assim, ele declarou aos presentes que venceria no primeiro turno, em 2 de outubro, sem necessidade de segundo turno. A pergunta que pairava sobre o comício — e sobre a campanha como um todo — era se aquela retórica absoluta e inflamada seria capaz de alcançar eleitores além da base já convicta.
President Jair Bolsonaro arrived in Campinas on Saturday morning atop an electric truck, ready to address a crowd of supporters gathered in Largo do Rosário. For twenty minutes, he spoke directly to them about the election ahead—and about his opponent. The language was unsparing. Bolsonaro called Lula, the former president and Workers' Party candidate, "the greatest thief in humanity." He returned to this characterization repeatedly throughout his remarks, framing the election as a choice between allowing a criminal to return to power or stopping him.
The rally was part of a motorcycle procession through downtown Campinas, a city Bolsonaro claimed personal ties to. He mentioned having lived there as a boy, staying with his grandmother on Avenida Barão do Itapura, and said his birth certificate was registered in the municipality. These details seemed designed to ground his candidacy in local soil, to suggest he was not a distant figure but someone with roots in the community.
Bolsonaro's attacks focused on alleged financial crimes. He referenced what he characterized as theft from the BNDES—Brazil's development bank—and other government agencies and ministries during Lula's administrations. "We will not allow this thief to return to the scene of the crime," he told the crowd, a phrase he repeated in various forms as his speech progressed. The framing was stark: a choice between order and disorder, honesty and corruption.
What made the moment notable was the gap between Bolsonaro's confidence and the polling data. Public opinion surveys showed him trailing Lula heading into the final stretch before the October 2 election. Yet Bolsonaro declared to his supporters that he would win in the first round—that no runoff would be necessary. "On October 2 we will win in the first round," he said, speaking with certainty despite the numbers suggesting otherwise.
The rally exemplified the tenor of the 2022 Brazilian presidential campaign in its final weeks. Both candidates were engaged in direct, personal confrontation. Bolsonaro's language was inflammatory and absolute. There was no hedging in his accusations, no suggestion of complexity or nuance in his framing of Lula's record. For supporters gathered in the square, the message was clear: this election was about preventing a return to what Bolsonaro characterized as a period of systematic plunder. Whether that framing would move voters beyond his base remained an open question as the campaign entered its final month.
Notable Quotes
Lula is the greatest thief who has ever lived in humanity— Jair Bolsonaro, at the Campinas rally
On October 2 we will win in the first round— Jair Bolsonaro, expressing confidence despite polling data showing him in second place
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did Bolsonaro choose Campinas for this particular rally, and why emphasize his personal connection to the city?
It's a strategic move. Campinas is significant in São Paulo state, and by claiming roots there—mentioning his grandmother, his birth certificate—he's trying to make himself feel local, not distant. It's about belonging.
He was trailing in the polls. Did he acknowledge that gap, or did he simply declare victory anyway?
He declared victory. No acknowledgment of the numbers at all. He told supporters they would win in the first round on October 2, as if the polling data didn't exist. It's a form of confidence, or perhaps defiance.
The phrase "greatest thief in humanity"—that's extreme language. Was there any attempt at nuance in his critique of Lula's record?
None. It was absolute. He referenced specific institutions—BNDES, government agencies—but the language never moved into policy debate. It was accusation, repetition, and moral judgment. The frame was criminal, not political.
What does this tell us about how the campaign was being fought at this moment?
That both sides had abandoned restraint. This wasn't about competing visions anymore. It was about delegitimizing the opponent entirely—painting them as fundamentally unfit, even criminal. The temperature was high.