(Rio de Janeiro) Brazilian far-right President Jair Bolsonaro launched his candidacy for the October presidential election on Sunday during a rally in Rio, again criticizing the Supreme Court and his opponent in the lead in the polls, the left-wing ex-president Lula.
Posted at 11:29
Updated at 3:15 p.m.
Mr. Bolsonaro urged his supporters to support him by taking to the streets on September 7, National Day, as they had already done last year with anti-democratic slogans in certain demonstrations.
“I call on you all to take to the streets for the last time on September 7,” he declared in a fiery tone, attacking the Supreme Federal Tribunal (STF) as he is used to. “These few deaf in black coats must understand what the voice of the people is,” he said of this institution.
“The Supreme is the people!” “replied his supporters.
Jair Bolsonaro said to pray to God “so that Brazil never knows the pains of communism”, in a reference to Luis Inácio Lula da Silva whom he accused, without naming him, of wanting to restrict freedoms if he returns to power on the occasion of the presidential election of October 2 and 30, of which he is the great favourite.
PHOTO EVARISTO SA, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ARCHIVES
Former President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva
According to the latest Datafolha poll, carried out in June, the founder of the Workers’ Party (PT) would obtain 47% of the vote in the first round, far ahead of Mr. Bolsonaro (28%).
The outgoing head of state launched a direct appeal to young Brazilians, most of whom, according to the polls, prefer Lula: “we must attract young leftists to our camp, show them the truth […] Where your candidate has supported others in South America, look at the misery in those countries, look at Venezuela […]look where our Argentina is going, with 50% of its inhabitants close to the poverty line”.
This candidacy announcement was made on the occasion of the convention of the Liberal Party (PL), at the Maracanazinho gymnasium in Rio de Janeiro.
PHOTO RICARDO MORAES, REUTERS
Twelve thousand people followed the speech, assured its organizers, even if the indoor stadium did not seem full.
The president appeared on stage with a bulletproof vest under his shirt, while an important security device, including metal detectors, was put in place.
A month before the 2018 presidential election, which he won, Jair Bolsonaro was stabbed in the stomach during a rally.