The right wing is trying to regain prominence after an operation in Rio and is uniting in support of Cláudio Castro.
Governors opposed to Lula are using the deadliest police action in history to reinforce their security discourse and regroup their conservative base on social media.
247 - The police operation that left at least 121 dead in Rio de JaneiroThe deadliest massacre in the country's history reignited the discourse of right-wing politicians and reorganized the conservative base, which had been weakened in recent weeks.
Second report published by O Globo newspaperGovernors considered potential candidates to run for President in 2026 against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva — such as Tarcisio de Freitas (Republicans), from São Paulo, Romeu Zema (New), from Minas Gerais, and Ronaldo Caiado (União Brasil)Representatives from Goiás expressed support for the operation and used the episode to attack the federal government.
On social media, the conservative camp outperformed the progressive camp. Data from Democracia em Xeque Institute They indicate that, between the day before yesterday and yesterday, right-wing profiles added up 57 million interactions across five platforms (Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube and TikTok), versus 17 million from the progressive field. The survey also identified 872 posts From conservative profiles, there are twice as many posts as from profiles linked to the left.
Reorganization of the right wing after political setback.
The digital strengthening of the right wing occurs after a series of political defeats, such as the rejection of the so-called... Shielding PEC in the Senate, and the negative impact of the meeting between Lula and the President of the United States, Donald Trumpseen as a setback for former president Jair Bolsonaro and his allies.
According to the executive director of the Democracy in Check Institute, Fabiano GarridoThe mega-operation in Rio served as a turning point:
"The operation, marked by its extremely high lethality, has transformed into a narrative battleground on social media. For the right wing, it is an attempt to regain prominence in the public debate, following positive data and actions for the federal government."
Among the posts with the greatest reach is that of the congressman. Nikolas Ferreira (PL-MG), which reached 17 million views On Instagram, he described the action as "the biggest cleanup in Rio's history." The congressman also accused the left of "defending the sovereignty of criminal factions," in contrast to the Lula government's discourse of strengthening the... national sovereignty, which analysts associate with the president's recovery in popularity.
Other names, such as the senator Flavio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ)They unearthed old statements by Lula, in which he referred to drug traffickers as "victims of users"—a statement for which the president later apologized. "Unlike Lula, we understand that these factions are terrorist groups," the senator stated.
Union of governors and dispute for protagonism
The crisis also served to bring opposition governors closer together. Cláudio Castro (PL)The Rio de Janeiro representative received support from his peers, who even proposed joint actions in the area of security. A virtual meeting was held with the participation of... Tarcisio de Freitas, Romeo Zema, Fallen Ronaldo, Jorginho Mello (PL-SC) e Mauro Mendes (União-MT).
The Secretary of Public Security of São Paulo, Guilherme Derrite (PP)He said he suggested that Tarcísio make part of São Paulo's police force available to patrol Rio. "If there is a need for support for patrolling in other areas, this can be done," he stated. Caiado and Jorginho also declared their willingness to send state security forces.
At a press conference, Claudio Castro He expressed his gratitude for the solidarity and said he saw the moment as "a new cycle of unity against crime."
"I see this as the beginning of a new era in which we can rid the people of Rio de Janeiro, and indeed Brazilians, of crime."
Criticism from the government base
Within the government camp, parliamentarians and ministers reacted to the governors' statements. The PT leader in the Chamber of Deputies, Lindbergh Farias (PT-RJ), demanded that Castro explain his opposition to Security PEC, a proposal from the Ministry of Justice that aims to integrate state and federal forces in the fight against crime.
The Minister of Institutional Relations, Gleisi HoffmannHe reinforced the urgency of resuming the debate:
"The violent incidents in Rio highlight the urgency of approving the proposal in Congress."
While the right tries to consolidate its "zero tolerance" narrative towards crime, the Planalto Palace still evaluating measures to address the crisis without resorting to a Law and Order Guarantee Operation (GLO)The struggle for control of the discourse on public safety promises to become one of the central themes of the 2026 presidential race.
