00:00Tenths of thousands of people came out to the streets of Recife today after Brazil's President Lula da Silva held
00:07a surprise campaign rally there.
00:09Our correspondent Brian Mir has more.
00:13President Lula held a surprise campaign rally in Recife today.
00:17Announced with only three days advance notice during a morning which started with heavy rainfall,
00:22tens of thousands of supporters came out to show their support for their president
00:26and the candidates supported by his Workers' Party for governor, senator and federal deputy in the state of Pernambuco.
00:33As an elementary school teacher I have to support a president who supports public education
00:39and as a researcher I support a president who believes in funding scientific research.
00:44Brazil's intelligence agency, ABIN, recently announced that the Trump administration is interfering in this year's elections at a critical level
00:52and this week 31 U.S. lawmakers sent a letter to Marco Rubio asking the U.S. government to stop
00:58meddling in Brazil's elections.
01:00With this tension exacerbated by Meta temporarily shutting down President Lula's Facebook account this week,
01:06U.S. imperialism was a subject on many people's minds.
01:10Brazil is a sovereign nation and our democracy has to be respected.
01:13Our president and our democratic elections also have to be respected.
01:17I have no doubt that the Trump administration has been trying to interfere not only in our elections
01:21but in democracies all over the world in an even more violent way, with all of the military power that
01:25they have,
01:26with their political power and primarily with their technological power.
01:29This is why I think it's important that so many people have come to the streets today
01:32to show their support for a president who respects Brazil's sovereignty.
01:35After thousands of people followed Lula from Santo Antonio to Marco Zero, the historic center of Recife,
01:42he gave a short speech reminding voters in his home state of Pernambuco
01:46of the advances made for the citizens of northeastern Brazil during his three terms in office
01:51and emphasized the importance of voting for candidates who respect national sovereignty.
01:57A vote for the Bolsonaros is a vote for the criminal gang which embezzled retirement pensions.
02:02Voting for them is voting for guys who wrap themselves up in American flag when they go to bed every
02:08night
02:08because they are traitors.
02:14Brazil's first-round presidential elections will be held on October 4th.
02:18Brian Muir, Telesur, Recife.
