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Three months before the presidential elections in Brazil, the two favorites, former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and current president Jair Bolsonaro, held campaign events this Saturday in Salvador de Bahia (northeast) surrounded by strong security devices, Lula and Bolsonaro staged the massive activities in two places separated by a few kilometers.
The far-right president met with his supporters at the lighthouse on Barra beach, the starting point of a procession of dozens of motorcycles about two kilometers along the coast, in the south of the city. During the October election, “what is at stake is our well-being and our freedom,” Bolsonaro launched from a platform, before getting on a motorcycle.
“We will win together (…) and we will paint the streets of our beloved city of Salvador green and yellow,” added the former Army captain, acclaimed by hundreds of people dressed mostly in yellow jerseys of the Brazilian soccer team.
At the same time, Lula was in Largo da Lapinha, 10 km further north, where a procession was taking place, this one on foot, to celebrate the anniversary of the independence of the state of Bahia. The last colonizing soldiers were expelled from Salvador on July 2, 1823, just under a year after Brazil declared its independence.
The former leftist president (2003-2010) participated in the march in the midst of a large crowd dressed in red who chanted “Olé, olé olé, Lula, Lula!” in step with him.
According to the latest Datafolha survey, published last week, Lula has 47% of the voting intentions, compared to 28% for Bolsonaro.
Two other candidates were also present in Salvador on Saturday morning for the independence celebrations: Ciro Gomes (center-left), third in the Datafolha poll (8%), and Senator Simone Tebet (center-right, 1%).
with AFP
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