São Paulo Gov. Tarcísio de Freitas, a likely national right-wing contender in Brazil’s 2026 elections, is facing scrutiny over one of his strongest political brands: roads.
Folha de S.Paulo reports that Tarcísio, a former infrastructure minister under Jair Bolsonaro, delivered fewer federal highway concessions than the current administration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Workers’ Party (PT) leader now in his third term. The comparison matters because Tarcísio was elected governor with the nickname “Tarcisão do Asfalto” — roughly, “Big Tarcísio of Asphalt” — and has made infrastructure auctions a central symbol of managerial competence.
The Federal Comparison
As Bolsonaro’s infrastructure minister from 2019 to 2022, Tarcísio held five federal highway concession auctions covering about 3,100 km (1,926 miles), according to Folha. His successor, Marcelo Sampaio, held a sixth before the end of that administration, bringing the period’s total to about 3,900 km (2,423 miles).
Under Lula, the Transport Ministry, led until April 2026 by Renan Filho of the Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB), held 23 highway auctions covering 10,000 km (6,214 miles), Folha reported. If planned auctions through December are not postponed, the total could exceed 14,000 km (8,699 miles), more than three times the Bolsonaro-era figure cited by the newspaper.
Jornal do Comércio, citing agency reporting, said the federal government planned 14 highway concessions in 2026 alone, covering 7,295 km (4,533 miles) and involving R$158 billion in planned spending, including R$91 billion in infrastructure investment and R$67 billion in operations. A Transport Ministry page updated on May 28 presents a four-year pipeline of 35 new highway concession projects totaling R$396 billion. Jornal do Comércio reported a slightly different target: 36 highway concessions and R$405 billion over the Lula term.
A Mixed São Paulo Record
Tarcísio’s state-level record is more favorable by number of auctions, but less so by road length. As governor, he has held six road concession auctions, compared with two under predecessors João Doria and Rodrigo Garcia between 2019 and 2022, according to Folha. Yet the current administration transferred 1,614 km (1,003 miles) of roads to private operators, less than the 1,873 km (1,164 miles) transferred under Doria and Garcia.
São Paulo’s government says length and auction proceeds alone do not measure a project’s efficiency. The Palácio dos Bandeirantes, the state government seat, argues that project complexity, service quality, road safety and contracted investment should also be weighed.
That argument has some basis in São Paulo’s mature concession market. The state has used private highway concessions for three decades, and many of the most profitable toll roads were already transferred before Tarcísio took office.
The PPP Question
One important shift is the use of sponsored public-private partnerships, or PPPs, in which the state pays the operator over the life of the contract rather than relying only on toll revenue. Folha reported that two of Tarcísio’s six road packages use that model.
The Litoral Paulista package, according to São Paulo’s investment partnerships secretariat, covers 213 km (132 miles) of roads serving coastal cities, tourism flows and cargo traffic toward the Port of Santos. It has R$4.3 billion in planned investment, R$2.7 billion in operating costs and a 30-year term, with an annual state counterpayment of R$179.1 million.
Folha reported that the Litoral Paulista and Paranapanema PPPs together commit the state to paying R$452.96 million per year for 30 years. The São Paulo government says sponsored PPPs can keep tolls moderate in projects that would not be financially sustainable on toll revenue alone.
The political effect is clear. Tarcísio still has a large infrastructure record, especially in airports, where Folha says his federal team privatized 50 terminals. But on highways — the sector most closely tied to his public image — the numbers give rivals and voters a more complicated picture than the campaign brand suggests.