Janones declines ministerial post, cites need for political freedom

Brazilian federal deputy-elect André Janones (Rede-MG) announced Sunday night on X that he will not become a minister in President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's fourth term, citing the position's constraints and bureaucratic obligations. Janones stated he can best serve Lula from the Chamber of Deputies, where he can maintain the "army" that aided the president's second-round victory, adding that a ministry would be his "comfort zone" but he wants to help Lula achieve the best approval rating of his career. In a TV Globo Fantástico interview, Janones said he won't switch parties, described his WhatsApp channel "Exército do Lula" as "mitigated democracy" and a transitional model needed to win elections, praised governor-elect Cleitinho's pacification efforts in Minas Gerais, and cited Rede's freedom as his reason for staying.