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Lula reverses stance, supports lowering criminal age to 16 in Brazil election gamble

President's U-turn on heinous crimes follows polls showing 80% public support

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has reversed his long-standing opposition to lowering the age of criminal responsibility, announcing he now supports reducing it to 16 for heinous crimes. The shift, made during a televised interview with less than two weeks until the presidential runoff, is widely seen as an effort to close a 2.2 million-vote gap with his far-right opponent, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro.

In an interview with TV Globo on Thursday night, Lula said his personal view as a Brazilian citizen is that he favors lowering the age of criminal responsibility for any and every heinous crime, and answered "yes" when asked if that meant to 16. The list of heinous crimes under Brazilian law is extensive, including murder, rape, falsification of medicines, and drug trafficking, an offense for which about a quarter of the 816,000 people serving prison sentences in Brazil were incarcerated.

Lula and his Workers' Party have historically opposed any reduction, while Senator Flávio Bolsonaro and his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, have long advocated lowering the age to 14. Recent opinion polls showed that 80% of the population supports lowering the age, adding pressure on the incumbent as he seeks to appeal to independents and undecided voters.

Human rights organizations and security experts have criticized proposals to lower the age of criminal responsibility, arguing they do little to reduce violence and instead increase recruitment into organized crime within Brazil's overcrowded prisons. The Episcopal Conference of Brazil, a Catholic bishops' organization, said the measure does not address the causes of violence and risks deepening cycles of violence and exclusion.

Columnist Josias de Souza wrote that Lula "turned himself inside out" on public security, defending what he had always rejected. The U-turn comes alongside other pre-election moves: Lula secured congressional approval for a shorter working week, debt relief for microentrepreneurs, and promised free public transport on weekends. Bolsonaro also shifted his position on the shorter working week, supporting it at the last minute as it was about to pass.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The runoff is just over a week away, and Lula's reversal on a core party principle aims to win over voters who prioritize public security, an issue where Bolsonaro has a strong advantage.
  • If enacted, lowering the age to 16 for heinous crimes would affect thousands of adolescents, potentially increasing the prison population and exposing minors to organized crime, a concern raised by human rights groups.
  • The debate mirrors a broader global tension between punitive approaches to youth crime and rehabilitation-focused models, with Brazil's high violence rates making it a high-stakes case.

Background

Lula and the Workers' Party have consistently opposed lowering the age of criminal responsibility since Brazil's 1988 constitution set it at 18. The Bolsonaro family, by contrast, has long pushed for a reduction, with Senator Flávio Bolsonaro and his father advocating an age of 14. The issue has gained traction amid persistent public security concerns; around 816,000 people are currently serving prison sentences in Brazil, and drug trafficking accounts for a significant portion.

Key Perspectives

Lula and his administration: The reversal is framed as a pragmatic response to overwhelming public opinion, with the president prioritizing electoral necessity over ideological consistency. His recent social and economic measures aim to broaden his appeal. Senator Flávio Bolsonaro and supporters: The far-right candidate has long demanded a tougher stance on youth crime and supports an even lower age of 14. He may use Lula's U-turn to argue that the president is merely copying his platform under pressure. Human rights organizations and the Catholic Church: They warn that lowering the age will not reduce violence, that it places young people prematurely in a prison system that exacerbates criminality, and that the focus should instead be on addressing underlying causes such as poverty and inequality.

What to Watch

  • The outcome of the runoff election, scheduled for the end of October, which will determine whether Lula's gamble pays off or backfires.
  • Any legislative proposal that emerges if Lula wins; the Senate has already discussed the issue, signaling possible fast-tracked bills.
  • Reactions from Brazil's Supreme Court, which may rule on the constitutionality of any change to the age of criminal responsibility.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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