Former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has just been confirmed Thursday as the Workers’ Party’s presidential candidate in the October elections.
The 76-year-old politician, who governed Brazil between 2003 and 2010, did not attend the party’s convention because he was campaigning in his home state of Pernambuco. He leads all the polls against the current president, Jair Bolsonaro. The vote of the delegates was widely expected, but it was symbolic, since the campaign of the former president, whom Brazilians universally call Lula, is already underway.
The 76-year-old politician, who governed Brazil between 2003 and 2010, did not attend the party’s convention because he was campaigning in his home state of Pernambuco. He leads all the polls against the current president, Jair Bolsonaro.
Lula was also confirmed as the Workers’ Party candidate at its 2018 convention, but a conviction for corruption and money laundering took him out of the race and paved the way for Bolsonaro’s victory.
The former union leader was released from prison in 2019 and his sentences were annulled last year after the Supreme Court ruled that the judge in charge of the case, Sergio Moro, acted in a partial manner. That allowed him to start his new presidential campaign this year. Moro, who oversaw the extensive Lava Jato corruption investigation, was later appointed Bolsonaro’s justice minister.
Lula has hinted that this will be his last campaign for the highest office in the country and that if elected he will not seek re-election. He has tried to reach out to moderate voters while the nation remains highly polarized.
Bolsonaro has characterized the upcoming presidential contest as a battle of good versus evil.
He has also made unsubstantiated claims that Brazil’s electronic voting system is susceptible to fraud, which many analysts say indicates he is laying the ground to challenge election results if they go against him.
Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party will hold its convention on Sunday to confirm him as its candidate.
