By Roberto Aguiar
The municipal congresses will ratify the candidacies of the PSTU in 43 cities, 15 of them in the capitals.
These are candidacies of men and women of the working class: workers, public employees, activists of movements struggling against oppression, indigenous peoples, peasants, and university and marginalized youth.
They are candidates who will present and defend a revolutionary and socialist project for the cities and the country to defeat the capitalist billionaires.
São José dos Campos (SP): Convention makes official the socialist candidacy of Toninho Ferreira for mayor
On Saturday July 20, the PSTU made official the candidacies for this year’s municipal elections in São José dos Campos (SP). The candidate for mayor is Toninho Ferreira, a lawyer and president of the Municipal Council, and his vice-president is Janaína dos Reis, also a lawyer and activist in the women’s movement.
Toninho was twice president of the Metalworkers’ Union of São José dos Campos. A historic leader of workers’ struggles, he has been at the forefront of emblematic struggles in the city, such as the historic occupation of Pinheirinho and the mobilizations against the illegal salary increase for mayors and councilors. He has run twice for mayor of SJC and for governor of the state.
Janaína dos Reis (47 years old) is a lawyer, leader of the Women in Struggle Movement (MML) and member of CSP-Conlutas in Vale do Paraíba. She has been a union leader in the metalworkers’ category in São José dos Campos and the region, and is a prominent militant in the fight against machismo, racism and LGBTphobia. In previous elections, she was a candidate for the party’s municipal council.
A socialist alternative to right-wing and reformism
Held at the Benedito Alves Theatre, it was the first convention in the city and counted with the greeting of the unions, social movements and political organizations. Contrary to the cold and light rain that fell early in the morning, the atmosphere among those present was one of determination, animation and forceful defense of the class and socialist profile of the candidacies to be presented.
In his speech, Toninho emphasized that the party’s candidacies will be the left alternative against the ultra-right candidates, as well as those who represent class
reconciliation projects.
“We defend a São José dos Campos for the workers and the exploited and oppressed sectors, not for the benefit of the rich, as is currently the case. Our program will present measures that confront the powerful and effectively respond to the demands of the majority of the population and a socialist way out to solve the problems of our class,” he said.
Besides criticizing the right-wing management of the current mayor (PSD), but also the reformist candidacy led by PT-PSOL, Toninho stressed that it is possible to allocate the budget of a rich city like São José to municipalize public transport and adopt the zero fare; regularize irregular neighborhoods, carry out expropriations for popular housing policies. He defended the permanence of the neighbors in Banhado and the Menino Jesus community threatened with eviction; he denounced the proposed privatization of the Municipal Park and the outsourcing of health services, as well as the approval of the civilian-military schools project.
The vice candidate, Janaína dos Reis, mocked the current government’s slogan (It’s good to live in SJC) and asked, “Who is SJC good for?” “Here in this city, everything is for businessmen and nothing for workers. The places are not for everyone. And there is a criminalization of poverty to justify all the problems that occur,” he said.
Councillors
The convention also made official a class and socialist list to be presented to the City Council.
With Raquel de Paula, a black woman and postal worker; Ernesto Gradella, professor, former federal deputy and current director of Admap; and a collective workers’ candidacy led by Weller Gonçalves, together with Antônio Lisboa, Eduardo Gabriel (Bob), José Dantas Sobrinho and Jairo Venâncio, the PSTU will carry out a classist, leftist and revolutionary campaign in defense of the working class and socialism.
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Recife (PE): PSTU makes official the candidacy of Simone Fontana and José Mariano for mayor
Last Saturday July 20, the PSTU made official the names it will present for the mayoralty of Recife (Pernambuco). The socialist list will be made up of Simone Fontana and José Mariano. The election took place during the Electoral Convention, which brought together militants, activists and sympathizers of the community, at the headquarters of the Christian Workers Movement.
Simone is a retired teacher with a long history of struggle in the city. She was the leader of Simpere (the municipal association of teachers of the municipal network of Recife) for four terms. She is also one of the founders of the PSTU in Pernambuco and has been a candidate for federal deputy, senator and city councilor.
Regarding her candidacy for mayor, Simone states that it is necessary to “confront the serious social problems and inequalities in Recife. João Campos [the current mayor of Recife (PSB)] has governed for billionaires, has put the city up for sale, and has increased the wealth of a few at the expense of the poverty of the majority of the population. We want to be a left and socialist opposition to the current government, fighting against the traditional right and the extreme Bolsonarist right. We want a workers’ government in Recife, supported by popular councils.
The vice-president of the list, José Mariano Macedo, is a physical education teacher. He was a member of Sintepe (Union of Education Workers of the State of Pernambuco) and also of CSP-Conlutas do Estado. As a poet, Mariano is an enthusiast of popular culture and author of poetry pamphlets.
PSTU will also present candidates for city councilors
In addition to the majority ticket of Simone and Mariano, the PSTU will run two candidates for city council. They are Valéria Felix, a long-time health worker and activist, and Caio Marx, a history student and leader of the student movement at UFPE.
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Curitiba (PR): Samuel de Mattos, postal worker, is confirmed as candidate for mayor
The Leon Trotsky Space was occupied on the night of July 24 by activists, militants, sympathizers and friends of the PSTU to accompany the municipal assembly that confirmed the name of postal worker Samuel Mattos for mayor of Curitiba. The deputy is Leonardo Guedes Martinez, who is LGBTI and an app driver.
“I put my name at the disposal of the PSTU to represent a Curitiba project for the workers and the poor population, and not to serve the interests of big businessmen like the current government, which has turned Curitiba into a city made for tourists,” said Samuel de Mattos, pre-candidate for mayor.
“We will denounce outsourcing processes that serve to line the pockets of businessmen. We will propose to reduce the salaries of the mayor, secretary and councilors and end their privileges. All will receive the same as a teacher. The elected representatives of the people cannot improve their lives if the class as a whole does not improve its living conditions,” he adds.
Samuel invites workers and youth to join the campaign: “We are the only candidacy that offers a socialist alternative for the city. We are calling on the working class and youth to join this campaign. On the basis of mobilization, in the elections and in daily struggles, we will implement a program to put an end once and for all to the problems we have in our daily lives”.
Article published in www.opiniaosocialista.com.br, 25/7/2024.-.
