Lula calls for united Brazil against ‘fascist adventure’
Jailed ex-president Lula calls on “democrats” to put unite against fascism in Brazil’s election run-off on Sunday.
Jailed ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called on “democrats” yesterday to put aside their differences and unite in a bid to defeat a “fascist adventure” in Sunday’s presidential election run-off.
Right-wing candidate Jair Bolsonaro is favourite to defeat Lula’s Workers’ Party (PT) colleague Fernando Haddad in the two-horse race.
“We’ve arrived at the end of the electoral process with the threat of an enormous setback for the country, for democracy and for our suffering people,” wrote Lula in a note.
“It’s the moment to unite the people, the democrats behind Fernando Haddad’s candidacy.”
Lula would have been the man leading the PT challenge to Bolsonaro — and widely expected to win — but for his 12-year sentence for corruption that he started serving in April.
Since Mr Bolsonaro and Mr Haddad emerged from the October 7 election first round as the two clear leaders of a Left versus Right battle, the PT candidate has struggled to attract more than “critical support” from the centre and centre-left. It’s left him looking likely to lose on Sunday.
Lula, though, is pleading with political opponents to put aside their reservations and help prevent Mr Bolsonaro from his seemingly unstoppable march to the presidency. “If there are differences among us, we will confront them through debate,” wrote Lula.
“We cannot allow despair to lead Brazil towards a fascist adventure.”
Former -army captain Bolsonaro has expressed support not just for Brazil’s 1964-85 dictatorship, but also its use of torture.
The Workers’ Party came under fire from rapper Mano Brown this week as he hit out at the party’s “blindness” in allowing Mr Bolsonaro to seduce the popular vote. Speaking alongside Haddad at a campaign rally in Rio de Janeiro, where he was jeered by some in the audience, the rapper said: “I don’t like this party atmosphere. The other side’s blindness is also here. It’s dangerous.”
Mr Bolsonaro took 46 per cent of the vote in the first round, compared to Mr Haddad’s 29.
The former military man led the most recent poll by Ibope with 57 per cent to Mr Haddad’s 43.
AFP
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