Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost entered without favoritism and left as. If Brazilian politics were a conclave, my bet would be that the mayor of, could be the Brazilian pred who in the 2026 presidential elections. It is someone capable of uniting and promoting consensus to overcome the wave of hatred and mediocrity that has dominated the country since 2013.
Even though he is an experienced politician, Paes is new to current Brazilian politics. I say novelty with caution, because I immediately remember “news” as. Paes is new in his fourth term as mayor of Rio. Therefore, it is not an adventurer with antisystem speech. Its consistency in politics is similar to that of Prevost in the Catholic Church: Paes govern the “diocese of Rio 14 years ago.
Bolsonaro mobilized people to hear the inflamed pastor attack. , after the May 1st celebrations fiasco, seems to have no more willingness to gather crowds as it did earlier.
Already Eduardo Paes took millions to the streets with shows such as and in Copacabana. Prior to that, it gave municipal support to the March for Jesus, bringing together crowds of evangelicals, and bet on the creation of the Promised Terra Park, which will include spaces for religious celebrations and baptisms.
It’s not about bread and circus. Events of this magnitude depend directly on the infrastructure and safety offered by the city.
As he asked a carioca friend about the administration of Paes, he heard promptly: “He has solved the BRT problem. Now the city has a transport system that really works. Paes is an excellent administrator.” His reelection in 2024, with 60.47% of the votes in the first round, showed that my friend is not alone in the evaluation.
As a candidate for reelection last year, Paes was accused by religious extremists of going against family values for supporting events such as great shows. And was criticized by secularist radicals for supporting evangelical leaders in his campaign.
His answer to the extremes was clear: “Evangelicals are not people from another planet. I believe in a city and a world where everyone has voice, freedom and their rights, respected.” He concluded: “I have the support of most Catholic and evangelical Christians, the Jewish community, the people of axé, the people without religion, but who believe in God, and those who believe nothing but want a better city.”
As a pastor, I have often criticized the instrumentalization of evangelical churches by Bolsonarist extremism. Nor do I save criticism of the prejudice that left sectors show in relation to evangelicals. I see in Paes’s actions an effort to govern by overcoming the contempt of the left by the religious and the manipulation of the churches from the far right.
Eduardo Paes’s great contribution is to show that Brazil can gather crowds not for hatred, but for the party, joy and peace.
Of course, this would need to be combined with, the great articulator of national policy and sponsor of how his first option for Planalto. It’s not impossible, as Kassab retains a foot in the Lula administration and has already had his Rusas with former President Bolsonaro.
I hope the next polls for president include Eduardo Paes on the list of candidates. Who knows, in 2026, Copacabana show the world that the era of polarization is over and that “Habemus” a Brazilian Brazil again.
