Brazil President Lula reshuffles staff and delays Supreme Court nomination

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is reorganising his administration as he prepares for Brazil's pre‑election campaign. In the coming days, senior aides Raquel Sepúlveda, Gustavo Couto and Gilberto Santos will be removed from the presidential communication team, and photographer‑secretary Ricardo Stuckert will leave his post overseeing audiovisual content. The changes also affect the Secretariat of Press within the Social Communication Secretariat, moving those officials to work directly on the campaign effort that officially begins on 16 August.

At the same time, Lula has reversed an earlier plan to re‑nominate Justice Jorge Messias to Brazil's Supreme Court. The nomination, which had been slated for immediate submission, is now expected to be postponed until after the election, likely in February, due to political calculations with Senate leader Davi Alcolumbre and internal Senate rules that bar a repeat vote within a year. The delay aligns with Lula’s broader strategy to manage his popularity and legislative agenda ahead of the vote.