Lula Installs Interim Ministers Across 14 Portfolios Ahead of 2026 Race

Overview

• At a Tuesday cabinet meeting, the Planalto confirmed that 14 ministers will leave to run in October and named their top deputies to lead the ministries.
• Key moves include Miriam Belchior in the Casa Civil replacing Rui Costa, João Paulo Capobianco at Environment for Marina Silva, Bruno Moretti at Planning for Simone Tebet, George Santoro at Transport for Renan Filho, and Leonardo Barchini at Education for Camilo Santana.
• Lula said he will not bring in outsiders, told the interim teams to finish existing programs by December, and used the closed-door session to attack Flávio Bolsonaro’s CPAC pitch tying Brazil’s minerals to U.S. needs.
• Jair Bolsonaro remains on temporary medical house arrest with a ban on phones and social media after Eduardo Bolsonaro claimed at CPAC he filmed a video “for his father,” which Michelle Bolsonaro denied sending as the STF gave the defense 24 hours to respond and warned that any breach could end the domiciliary regime.
• The Supreme Federal Court set an April 8 session to decide if Rio de Janeiro’s interim governor will be chosen by a direct popular vote or an indirect vote in the state assembly, while the PL asked the Court to let the future Alerj president serve as acting governor and the TJ-RJ chief Ricardo Couto remains in the role for now.