I don't want to marry the governor. I want a respectful relationship.
In Campinas, President Lula used the inauguration of bus rapid transit lanes as a stage for something older than infrastructure: the negotiation of political dignity between rivals. Extending a public hand to São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas — who was absent — Lula invoked republican principle as both shield and sword, arguing that federal resources flow not from partisan loyalty but from institutional responsibility. The moment captures a tension as old as federalism itself: who deserves credit for the common good, and what happens when those who benefit refuse to acknowledge the hand that gave.
- Lula traveled to Campinas to announce major federal investments, but the governor whose state would benefit was nowhere to be seen — a conspicuous absence that shaped every word the president spoke.
- The president publicly claimed that São Paulo's R$12 billion in BNDES financing existed only because of his administration's willingness to lend across political lines — a pointed contrast to the Bolsonaro years.
- Freitas has repeatedly declined joint appearances and, when acknowledging the projects, credits the bank rather than the federal government — a quiet but deliberate act of political distancing.
- When the Campinas mayor, also from Freitas's party, was booed by the crowd, the room itself revealed the fault line Lula was trying to bridge with words alone.
- Lula's strategy is now clear: if the governor won't share the stage, the president will speak directly to voters and ensure the origin of the funding is never in doubt.
President Lula arrived in Campinas on July 4th to mark the opening of BRT bus rapid transit lanes and announce drainage improvements — but the event's deeper subject was political. With São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas absent, Lula addressed the crowd with a message that was part olive branch, part ledger: "I don't want to marry the governor. What I want is a respectful, civilized relationship. I came here so the people of Campinas understand that these works have money from the federal government, from Caixa Econômica Federal, and from BNDES."
The financial argument was direct. Lula claimed that São Paulo had secured R$12 billion in BNDES financing precisely because his administration lends without partisan discrimination — something he implied would never have happened under Bolsonaro. "He won that loan because of me, because I'm republican, because I don't persecute anyone," he said. Earlier in the day, at another interior event, he had noted that Freitas regularly declines joint appearances and, when he does acknowledge the projects, credits the bank rather than the federal government.
The political geography adds weight to the friction. Freitas, of the Republicanos party, governs a state historically resistant to federal dominance. Lula, rebuilding his coalition after his 2022 victory, needs to show that resources flow to all of Brazil regardless of alignment. The governor's continued distance complicates that narrative. At the Campinas event, the Republican mayor was booed by the crowd — a reminder that Lula's base remains skeptical of the very politicians he is trying to court.
What the day revealed is a president working within the limits of his own goodwill. He cannot compel Freitas to stand beside him or to credit federal investment. What he can do is speak past the governor directly to voters, and make the case that his government governs for everyone. Whether that argument lands may ultimately depend on whether Freitas's silence begins to look less like independence and more like ingratitude.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva arrived in Campinas on Thursday, July 4th, to deliver remarks at an event marking the opening of BRT bus rapid transit lanes and announcing drainage infrastructure improvements across the city. His message, though ostensibly about federal investment in São Paulo's future, carried an unmistakable political undertone: a public plea for civility with the state's governor, Tarcísio de Freitas, paired with a pointed reminder of who had made the money flow.
"I don't want to marry the governor," Lula said, his phrasing deliberate and colloquial. "I'm already married. What I want is a respectful relationship, a civilized one. That's why I came here—so the people of Campinas understand that these works announced today have money from the federal government, from Caixa Econômica Federal, and from BNDES." The president was making a calculation: if Freitas would not appear at his side, Lula would ensure the public knew where the funding originated.
The subtext was sharper still. Lula claimed that São Paulo's state government had secured R$12 billion in financing from the National Bank for Economic and Social Development—BNDES—only because his administration had made it possible. "I doubt the São Paulo governor would have gotten R$12 billion approved at BNDES under another government," he said. "He won that loan because of me, because I'm republican, because I don't persecute anyone, because I respect everyone." The statement was a direct contrast to the Bolsonaro years, when, Lula suggested, the federal development bank had been far less generous to states governed by political opponents.
Earlier that same day, at another event in the interior, Lula had elaborated on the same theme. He said he regularly invites Freitas to participate in joint federal-state announcements, but the former infrastructure minister under Jair Bolsonaro consistently declines. When Freitas does acknowledge the projects, Lula noted, the governor credits BNDES rather than the federal administration. "He says the money is from BNDES, not from Lula. He borrowed it and he'll pay it back," the president explained. "What he needs to understand: BNDES lends money to governors in my government. In their government, they wouldn't lend a single cent."
The political geography here is worth noting. Freitas, a member of the Republicanos party, represents a state that has long been a power center independent of federal control. Lula, seeking to rebuild his political coalition after his 2022 election victory, needs to demonstrate that federal resources flow to all corners of Brazil regardless of partisan alignment. Yet Freitas has largely kept his distance, a posture that Lula's remarks suggest frustrates him—not because of personal animosity, but because it complicates the narrative Lula wants to tell about his presidency.
At the Campinas event, the mayor, Dário Saadi, also a member of Republicanos, was present and was booed by the crowd. The moment underscored the tension: Lula was extending an olive branch to São Paulo's political establishment while his own supporters in the audience made clear their skepticism about Republican politicians. The president's message was thus split: to Freitas and the state government, a call for institutional respect and cooperation; to his base, a reminder that his administration was delivering resources and that credit belonged where credit was due.
What emerges is a portrait of a president managing a delicate political balance. Lula cannot force Freitas to appear at his side, nor can he compel the governor to credit federal funding. What he can do is speak directly to voters, lay out the facts of federal investment, and make the case that his government operates on republican principles rather than partisan revenge. Whether that message resonates depends partly on whether Freitas eventually accepts the invitation to share a stage—or whether the governor's continued absence becomes its own form of political communication.
Notable Quotes
I doubt the São Paulo governor would have gotten R$12 billion approved at BNDES under another government. He won that loan because of me, because I'm republican, because I don't persecute anyone.— President Lula
He says the money is from BNDES, not from Lula. He borrowed it and he'll pay it back. What he needs to understand: BNDES lends money to governors in my government. In their government, they wouldn't lend a single cent.— President Lula
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does Lula keep inviting Freitas to these events if the governor keeps saying no?
Because the refusal itself is the problem. If Freitas shows up, Lula gets to claim they're working together. If Freitas stays away, Lula gets to tell voters he tried to be civil and the governor rejected him. Either way, Lula controls the narrative.
But Freitas is from the same party as the mayor who got booed. Doesn't that suggest Lula's base doesn't want cooperation with these Republicans?
Exactly. Lula is trying to thread a needle—telling his supporters he's being magnanimous and presidential, while also reminding them that federal money flows through his hands. The booing shows the base isn't fully convinced.
So the R$12 billion in BNDES loans—is that actually something Lula's administration approved, or is it just how BNDES normally works?
That's the real question. BNDES is a development bank; it lends money. But Lula's point is that under Bolsonaro, it didn't lend to states run by political opponents. Now it does. Whether that's because Lula changed the bank's leadership or because the bank is simply functioning normally again—that's the detail voters need to understand.
And Freitas's response—that he borrowed the money and will pay it back—is that a fair counter?
It's defensible. He's saying the state earned the loan on its merits, not as a favor. But Lula's comeback is that the loan wouldn't have been available at all under the previous government. Both can be true.
What happens if Freitas never shows up?
Then Lula keeps doing what he's doing—showing up in São Paulo, announcing projects, reminding people where the money came from. Eventually, either Freitas relents or the voters decide Lula tried and the governor refused. Either way, Lula gets credit for the attempt.