Former governor of Minas Gerais fumbled while answering a journalist’s question during an interview and made a mistake
The former governor of Minas Gerais and pre-candidate for the Presidency of the Republic, (NOVO), made a mistake during an interview this Monday (May 4, 2026). When asked about a possible ticket with (PL) as his vice-president, Zema fumbled his answer and said that in Brazil “there is a lack of thieves”.
The interview was on Frente a Frente, an initiative between Uol and Folha. “When I started my career as a businessman, Brazil was richer than China. […] Now, 35 years later, China is ahead and Brazil is behind. […] Brazil has gigantic potential. A people who work, natural resources, clean energy. There is no lack of resources here, the problem is that there is a lack of thief here.”these Zema.
The interviewers relaxed the situation and corrected Zema, who admitted the error in his speech. At the end of his response, they asked again about the continuation of his candidacy and who his vice-president would be. Zema disagreed again, saying that he will be someone “with a clean record, which is hard to find”.
PUBLIC SAFETY
When asked about the issue of public security in Rio de Janeiro, Zema defended the creation of a specific Public Security department in the Ministry of Justice, commanded by someone from the police: “Someone who has dealt with criminals. No more sociologists, social workers and anthropologists giving opinions and deciding for public safety. They can contribute, but today they are deciding. I want them to decide who is on the front line, who has already been shot.”
The former governor also defended the use of body cameras by police during special operations, but not on a daily basis.
