São Paulo state deputy Emidio de Souza of the Workers’ Party (PT) has asked the state prosecutor’s office to investigate alleged boycott lists targeting shopkeepers and professionals identified as PT supporters. His request follows reports of political discrimination in the state after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s re-election.
The cases cited by de Souza were reported in Tanabi, São José do Rio Preto, Mirassol, Votuporanga and Pirassununga. He also asked prosecutors to examine whether public officials were involved.
In letters to the presidents of the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp) and the São Paulo State Trade Federation (FecomercioSP), de Souza called for a stance against threats of dismissal, discriminatory firings and refusals to hire people because of their political views.
De Souza cited figures from Brazil’s Labor Prosecutor’s Office showing 3,396 reports of electoral harassment in 2026, including 620 in São Paulo state. The figures were recorded through the 29th, and São Paulo led the national tally at that point.
“The worker sells their labor, not their freedom of conscience,” de Souza said. He added that threatening someone’s job because of their vote exploits people’s need for work to demand submission that the law does not permit.
The deputy also asked the Regional Council of Medicine of the State of São Paulo to take measures after cardiologist Clederson Henry Dina, of Einstein Hospital Israelita, published a series of attacks against Lula supporters. The case was reported by UOL. Einstein said that individual statements do not represent the organization’s position.
Sources: Folha Poder.