The PTB made official today (1st) the candidacy of federal deputy Roberto Jefferson for the Presidency of the Republic. Jefferson is the honorary president of the party and his name was unanimously acclaimed. The convention, however, was not attended by him, as he is under house arrest by court order. He is accused of disrupting the electoral process and delivering hate speech and attacking democratic institutions.
Jefferson stated, in a video, that his candidacy is not intended to compete with President Jair Bolsonaro’s re-election attempt. According to him, the objective is to expand the number of alternatives to the right. “Now, in 2022, Bolsonaro is running for reelection alone, against everything and against everyone, while the left presents itself as an octopus with several tentacles in the form of multiple candidacies, filling all possible niches of this electorate”, he said, in a video shown. during the convention.
“The right-wing candidate has his electorate inhibited. He does not reconnect with the disaffected, the famous exemptions, and generates a gigantic abstention that ends up electing a left-wing candidate by the minority of the electorate. It’s an unfair fight,” he added. The PTB did not disclose whether the candidate for vice on the ticket is defined.
Profile
Lawyer born in Petrópolis (RJ), Roberto Jefferson is 69 years old and has been in national politics for decades. Before making a career in politics, he even participated in television programs in the 1980s. He participated in the programs Aqui e Agora, in a kind of simulated jury, on TV Tupi; and the program Domingo à Noite, on TVS, currently SBT. He was also the presenter of the program O Povo na TV, also on TVS.
His first term as a federal deputy was in 1983 and after that he amended six consecutive terms. He had his mandate revoked after confessing to participating in the monthly allowance scheme. He became known nationally for denouncing the vote-buying scheme, a scandal in which he also participated. He was convicted of passive bribery and money laundering.
In August 2021, Jefferson had preventive detention decreed by Minister Alexandre de Moraes for attacks on institutions on social networks. Their social media accounts were also blocked. In January of this year, for health reasons, Jefferson went on to serve house arrest.
