(Brasilia) Former anti-corruption judge and former Brazilian justice minister Sergio Moro joined the centrist Podemos party on Wednesday for the presidential and parliamentary elections in 2022.
The former judge, who rose to prominence in 2017 for having convicted ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (2003-2010) for corruption in 2017, before becoming Minister of Justice under President Jair Bolsonaro, did not revealed which term he wished to apply for.
The leadership of the Podemos party called him “the future president of Brazil”.
“If it is necessary to take the lead in this project, my name will always be available to the Brazilian people,” Moro said during a ceremony in Brasilia. “I will not run away from this fight, but I know it will be difficult,” he added.
Podemos has 11 deputies (out of 513) and 9 senators (out of 81) in Parliament.
Sergio Moro, 49, who led the vast anti-corruption investigation Lava Jato (Lavage Express), positions himself in what is described in Brazil as the “third way”, facing far-right President Jair Bolsonaro and the former leader from left Lula da Silva.
The latter has not yet announced his candidacy, but he is the favorite in the polls against the outgoing head of state.
According to the latest opinion polls, for the presidential election of October 2022, Jair Bolsonaro is credited with 26% of the voting intentions against 44% for Lula. The former judge does not reach 10%.
Mr. Moro had convicted Lula da Silva at first instance in July 2017 for having received a triplex by the sea in exchange for favors in the award of public contracts.
After being convicted on appeal, the former turner-miller had served 18 months in prison, from April 2018 to November 2019. The Supreme Court subsequently quashed these convictions.
After 22 years in the judiciary, Sergio Moro was appointed Minister of Justice to Jair Bolsonaro. He resigned in April 2020 with a bang, denouncing interference by the Head of State.
In April 2021, the Supreme Court of Brazil upheld a ruling that qualified the ex-judge as “biased” in the corruption trial that had led Lula to prison.
If he didn’t get enough backing for a presidential bid, Moro could run for the Senate.