Historian and professor Valter Pomar, a historical leader of the PT and former national secretary of International Relations of the party, publicly criticized First Lady Rosângela da Silva, known as Janja, after she stated during a rally in Teresina, Piauí, that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is the "true anointed of God" and a candidate for re-election.
In a post on his personal blog, Pomar clarified that he recognizes Janja's right to say what she thinks, but questioned the advisability of citing God's name in an electoral dispute. He stated that the president's wife certainly reflected on the meaning of the word "truth" in a theological context before including the phrase in the speech.
Pomar argued that the extreme right tries to transform political-ideological disputes into religious wars, a practice that according to him occurs in Brazil and throughout the world, citing as an example the United States, where Donald Trump and his allies frequently attribute to their adversaries the quality of enemies of God. The historian warned that using the same religious language in response may not be the best strategy for the PT.
Pomar's criticism represents a dissenting voice within the PT itself, a party that historically positioned itself in defense of the secularity of the State and that now finds itself divided over the strategy of religious messaging in the electoral campaign.
