The British newspaper published a report showing the frequent publication, by the president () and allies, of images of him doing physical exercises. The vehicle attributes the practice to a strategy to show voters that the PT member still has physical vigor even at the age of 80.
The president, says the text, is seeking a new mandate “based on squats and leg presses”, at a time when his main opponent is the senator (-RJ), who is 44 years old — Lula’s age in his first presidential election, in 1989.
Among the videos cited by the vehicle is one broadcast live by First Lady Rosângela da Silva, which shows her husband doing squats with a white towel around his neck, “in the Rocky Balboa style”, in reference to the boxer character who starred in Hollywood films.
“Lula is a gym rat. This man is in great shape to continue taking care of Brazil until 2030”, wrote a supporter on X, in a post included in the report.
Other footage mentioned shows Lula running and using gym equipment. “We cannot stop the passage of time, but we can take care of our health”, said the PT member in one of them.
The strategy had already been seen in the 2022 election, when Lula appeared training in boxing.
The age of the octogenarian president, who turned against Democrat Joe Biden in the USA, has already been used by Flávio to criticize his rival. “‘old man’, he used to be handsome, but today he doesn’t take you anywhere and he still drinks a lot”, said the senator.
The PT member replied: “The other day Bolsonaro’s son [Flávio Bolsonaro] I said it like this: Lula is the old Opala. When he says it like that, I don’t take offense. Because I had a turbocharged 94 Opala. If he knew my Opal, he wouldn’t talk. He speaks because his Opal is his father, . The Opal he knows is his father. He doesn’t know what the turbocharged Opala is,” said Lula.
Last year, he stated that, to be a candidate, he needs to “be 100% healthy.” Last Thursday, he declared that he was about to run, but that he would be unlikely to stop running.
