Brazil’s jailed former leader quits presidential election and backs running mate
Brazil’s imprisoned former leader, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, withdrew from the country’s presidential election yesterday.
Lula, serving 12 years for corruption and money laundering, was barred from running by an electoral court. He endorsed his running mate Fernando Haddad as his party’s candidate.
The endorsement came before a deadline for the Workers’ Party to pick a replacement.
Brazil’s “clean slate” law means people with a criminal conviction upheld on appeal cannot run for elected office.
“Brazil’s judiciary has taken the right of the people to choose freely,” Lula wrote in a letter. “They’re censoring me like they did during the military dictatorship.”
A former Sao Paulo mayor Mr Haddad, 55, saw substantial voter support in a Datafolha opinion poll published on Monday. He is now in a tie for second place with three other contenders – fellow leftist candidate Ciro Gomes, environmentalist Marina Silva and former Sao Paulo governor Geraldo Alckmin.
First is former army captain Jair Bolsonaro, who slightly extended his lead after being stabbed and nearly killed at a rally last week.
Since his indictment more two years ago, Lula has denounced a conspiracy to prevent his return to power.
His supporters have protested on the streets, to courts and in the media at home and abroad.
Investors are concerned about a return to heavy government intervention in the economy, with the Workers’ Party proposing to tax banks that charge high interest rates, introduce capital controls and force public lenders to offer cheap credit.
Investors dumped Brazilian assets as the chances of market-friendly candidates standing faded before the election on October 7.