Northeast Brazil marks the start of the presidential race.

Paulo Emílio _PE247 - President Dilma Rousseff's (PT) trip to Piauí this week was not merely a component of the government's administrative agenda. The visit is part of a movement with a clear objective: to recover the strength of the Workers' Party in the Northeast region, largely responsible for the party's success in the two elections of former President Lula and his successor, and to curb the power of the governor of Pernambuco and president of the PSB, Eduardo Campos, who intends to reach the Planalto Palace in 2014. And in the coming weeks this movement will become even more evident, when the president visits other states in the Northeast, almost all governed by the PSB.

Another move also affects the PSDB candidate, Senator Aécio Neves. Dilma set up a showroom in Brasília to present the Federal Government's projects and programs to the mayors-elect and the ways to implement them. With this, Dilma hopes to weaken the pre-candidates' discourse surrounding the need to create a new federal pact that guarantees more autonomy to states and municipalities.

 After three meetings with the socialist governor, who did not confirm whether or not he would be a candidate in 2014, the president took the lead. The first state visited, Piauí, is governed by the PSB, as are Pernambuco and Paraíba. The exception is Alagoas, whose governor is a member of the PSDB. Besides trying to reclaim spaces that were previously held by the PT and which have partly migrated to the PSB, Dilma's trips to the region also attempt to quell criticism from state and municipal leaders dissatisfied with the current disparity in treatment given to the Northeast compared to the government of former president Lula.

This journey to the Northeast should soon gain momentum with the resumption of the Citizenship Caravans by the former president. Although out of power, Lula still enjoys a high level of acceptance and popularity in the Northeast, and his engagement is seen as fundamental to strengthening Dilma's reelection campaign in 2014. But sectors within the PT itself believe that, should the president's candidacy fail to take off, the "caravans" would already position Lula's name as a preferred option in the race for the presidency.

Although Dilma has taken the lead in the presidential race, the PSB (Brazilian Socialist Party) will only comment on a possible candidacy later, probably in the second half of the year. Besides not wanting to directly confront the government, the party understands that the performance of the economy throughout 2013 will be a fundamental factor for both socialists and PT (Workers' Party) members. If the economy grows as expected in 2013, the president's chances of re-election are practically certain. But if that doesn't happen, the governor could position himself as a viable alternative to the PT's hegemony in power.

While the situation remains undefined, the PSB continues to be part of the governing coalition, although it is working behind the scenes to forge alliances and garner support for its intentions. Along these lines, Dilma has reportedly told Campos that the PSB's support is fundamental to the government's interests in 2013 and that a potential candidacy by the socialist would not alter this situation. For his part, Campos has repeatedly stated that the PSB will stand by the president throughout this term.

Now that the game is increasingly open, it remains to be seen whether this position will be maintained or not.