Panel SA: Lula and Bolsonaro are not two extremes, says businesswoman

Rosangela Lyra, former head of Dior in Brazil, who militated in the Vem Pra Rua movement, campaigned for Lava Jato and today defends the election of Lula to defeat Bolsonaro, says that the business community is on hold. Third way hope withered.

According to Lyra, the decision to support Lula after fighting him was a process that took place in the name of democracy. “These are not two comparable candidates. They are not two extremes,” she says.

The businesswoman, who almost a decade ago created the Viva Politics movement, which runs a series of WhatsApp groups to discuss politics, says the debate has changed. “In these last years, when we started to live a nightmare, it’s no longer possible not to give an opinion, not to speak out.”

Mrs. has been following politics for years and has been an activist in business. Is something new being prepared?Not. I think we are at the moment of the waiting compass. We need to understand where we are going, with these constant threats, this growing insecurity and instability.

At the same time, we are seeing Lula’s campaign, what is Alckmin’s role, if he moves towards the center. There is all this waiting for it to be defined to see what the next step is to take.

Does it have to do with the lack of definition of the third way?Some people have hope, but when I talk, I see less and less. Although the Doria has become more viable. It’s not impossible, but it will be difficult. I think this momentary inaction on the part of the business community is more a function of this.

And there are those who will continue with Bolsonaro, who identify with his banners, the conservatives who have suffered the strongest brainwashing of hatred for the PT.

These will continue, you can do whatever, as long as you don’t interfere with your income and your lifestyle, they will continue, even with atrocities, barbarities and corruption that exists in this government. There is a difficulty, or unwillingness, to see corruption, cracks, influence peddling, checks, mansions, embezzlement, so many things.

You, who has a history of supporting the PSDB, how do you analyze the trajectory of Doria’s candidacy?I was never affiliated with any party. I identified more with the PSDB and I identify with Alckmin. There’s a hatred for Doria that I can’t understand. He had issues that disappointed voters, such as leaving the prefecture, supporting Bolsonaro in 2018, turning his back on his political godfather.

And these previews are always positive because you have the opportunity to not be imposed by the chiefs, bring discussion, put the party in evidence. But it turned into a big mess. These are bad moves for the party and for the candidate who remains.

Mrs. positioned itself on the willingness to support Lula. How was that process? And when you talk about it with business people, what do you hear?In order to defend the country, democracy, freedom, the democratic rule of law, it is to leave differences behind, to support a candidate even if there is no affinity in life. I always fought Lula. I have always been very focused on fighting corruption. In 2005, I took to the streets against the monthly allowance. We were 50 cats dripping in the Masp gap. I’ve always been active.

When I manifested [em apoio a Lula para 2022] had a lot of repercussions. I have 10 thousand contacts on WhatsApp. People I hadn’t spoken to for a long time came looking for me. Some said they understood my opinion, but they didn’t have the courage to take a stand, others hadn’t decided yet. Few criticized.

Ms., who has been managing WhatsApp groups on politics for years, what did you think of Elon Musk buying Twitter?At first I was a little worried. But it didn’t seem like it would intervene on a daily basis, at least not at first. I don’t think he’s going to play with it or make shareholders lose money. He may have some weird features, but he doesn’t beat a drum for crazy dancing.

And that sparked debate about freedom of expression. What do you think?Using freedom of expression to justify certain things is subterfuge. There is a limit to everything. When this right is used to violate guarantees established by the Constitution, it cannot be freedom of expression. Intimacy, private life, honor, people’s image, are inviolable things.

How do you think about the management of these social network spaces? [No Política Viva], are WhatsApp groups with opinion makers, leaders from the most diverse areas and places in the country. I have always tried to be extremely impartial, to let the other person come to conclusions for himself, asking questions for people to think about. Politics Viva was created with pillars such as fighting fake news, exchanging information and bringing politics closer to society. It was created in 2013 and, in 2020, it became Instituto Política Viva.

I was very didactic. Now, the people who participate already have this knowledge. In these last years, when we started to live a nightmare in the economy, in health, in education, it is no longer possible not to give an opinion, not to speak out.

[Lula e Bolsonaro] There are no two comparable candidates. It’s not two extremes. PT is not extreme left, it never was, much less radical. Lula respects democracy. He respected the decision, was arrested. Dilma accepted the impeachment, without the threat of a coup. Today, there are threats every day.

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After creating the Politics Viva movement, about ten years ago, the businesswoman founded the Instituto Política Viva, in 2020. She is also president of Associação Comercial Jardins e Itaim and was president of Dior in Brazil for 28 years.