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Ciro Gomes’ candidacy supports ‘Lula’ ahead of the second round in Brazil

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The Democratic Labor Party announced its decision to support the former president after its bet on Ciro Gomes did not go to the ballot. Gomes accepted the decision despite being a strong critic of Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva. With the support, the coalition that will endorse ‘Lula’ in the second round of elections to be held on October 30 is increased.

An important support at the beginning of the campaign for the second electoral round that will decide who will be the next president of Brazil.

After meeting with the leadership of the group, Carlos Lupi, the president of the Democratic Labor Party, stated that he supported “what is closest” ideologically in terms of closeness, “which is Lula’s candidacy.”

The PDT (for its acronym in Portuguese) is one of the historical references of the center-left in the Brazilian political scene.

The group’s candidate in the first round, Ciro Gomes, Lula’s former minister and strong critic of his management, also joined the party’s decision. In a video published shortly after the support was announced, Gomes, without mentioning ‘Lula’ or explicitly declaring his support for him, said he agreed.

Who is Cyrus Gomes?

Gomes broke with his former boss of the Workers’ Party and does not hide his enmity towards him. On several occasions during the current campaign he called him a “fascist” and maintained that he was the victim of a campaign against him in favor of ‘Lula’.

The separation of both occurred in the context of the 2018 electoral campaign, when the former president was charged, arrested for corruption and his candidacy to occupy the Planalto palace was revoked. Causes that were later annulled by the Federal Supreme Court of Brazil.

Since then, he played a critical role with both the left and the right, leaving a space that was well used by Bolsonaro to take the majority of the votes on that occasion.

Former presidential candidate Ciro Gomes was Luiz Inácio 'Lula' da Silva's minister in the PT leader's first term.  Image taken on October 2, 2022 after Gomes exercised his right to vote.
Former presidential candidate Ciro Gomes was Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva’s minister in the PT leader’s first term. Image taken on October 2, 2022 after Gomes exercised his right to vote. © AFP – Stephan Eilert

According to the polls, Ciro Gomes, former minister of ‘National Integration’ in the union leader’s first term, had the third highest vote intention in the process on October 2, although he finished fourth, behind the center-right Simone Tebet , a senator who gained notoriety in the commission that investigated the management of the pandemic by Jair Bolsonaro.

Progressive front that postulates Lula accepts adhesion of the PDT

The president of the Democratic Labor Party also announced that the front that supports Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva in the ballot accepted his conditions to endorse the candidacy.

Among them are the renegotiation of the debts of the poorest families, the acceptance of a universal minimum income plan and a comprehensive education program for children and young people.

The director also assured that the party or none of its members could be “omitted” at a time when Brazil must choose “an aspiring dictator like Bolsonaro” or “a democrat like Lula.”

Lula is trying to form a “democratic bloc” that exceeds the ten parties with which he formed his coalition for these elections. Not an easy task that would mean convincing those who were defeated in the first round and bringing them back to their field.

Lula calls for unity to confront Bolsonaro

In a meeting of his campaign committee, the former president and presidential candidate, Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva, pointed out that they had to “close agreements with all those who voted” for his proposal.

The event, held this Monday, was also attended by Gleisi Hoffmann, who stated her intention to also obtain the support of two center-right candidates, Simone Tebet and Soraya Thornicke.

According to Lula, the strategy for the second round is to talk with those who did not vote for him, not with those who did.

The efforts of the PT campaign will be concentrated, according to its leader, in Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo, the two largest electoral colleges in the country in which its plans did not work as planned.

The second round of the presidential election will take place on October 30. An electoral battle that will further increase the political polarization that exists in the South American giant, in constant escalation since Jair Bolsonaro came to power.

with EFE

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