Brazil's PT Youth Launch 'Congress of the People' Movement for 2026 Election

On 21 July 2026, young leaders of Brazil's Workers' Party (PT) launched a digital initiative called **Congresso do Povo** (Congress of the People). The movement brings together eight pre‑candidates from seven states – Luna Zarattini (São Paulo), Pedro Rousseff (Minas Gerais), Ana Júlia Ribeiro (Paraná), Rosa Amorim and Kari Santos (Pernambuco), Laura Sito (Rio Grande do Sul), Brisa Bracchi (Rio Grande do Norte) and Eduardo Zanatta (Santa Catarina) – all of whom hold municipal or state legislative posts and will contest the Chamber of Deputies for the first time.

The platform aims to coordinate their campaigns around a shared set of 13 programmatic commitments, including ending the 6 × 1 work schedule, reforming the parliamentary amendment system, advancing tax justice, promoting ecological transition, and expanding representation of women and Black people in Congress. It also provides a space for other aligned candidates, supporters and volunteers to join. The movement positions itself as a counter‑narrative to the “Congress Enemy of the People” rhetoric used by some government allies and has received public backing from President Luiz Inácio Lula, who invited Zarattini to coordinate youth efforts in his re‑election campaign.

By presenting a unified digital front, Congresso do Povo seeks to refresh the PT bench in the 2026 federal elections, leveraging the experience of its young members while promoting broader youth participation in Brazilian politics.