Brazilian Pre-Candidate Films Himself Spreading Salt at Replica of Lula’s Childhood Home

Overview

• Renan Santos, founder of the MBL and a Missão party presidential pre-candidate, posted an Instagram video on January 15 showing him spreading coarse salt at the Caetés site.
• In the recording, he invokes a Roman–Carthage analogy and says the act was to ensure that "another Lula" would not be born in Brazil.
• The location is a 2022 reconstruction of Lula’s childhood house coordinated by PT Pernambuco with input from the president’s relatives, which Lula visited in July 2022.
• Santos calls the site "enemy territory" in the video and criticizes Lula and family members, referencing an INSS corruption scandal.
• Coverage notes Genial/Quaest polling that shows Lula leading the race while Santos registers at roughly 1% to 4% support.