Former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has abandoned his run for the presidency, just weeks out from the election.
Lula, as he is widely known in Brazil, made the decision to step aside after Brazil’s supreme electoral tribunal barred him from running because of his conviction on corruption and money laundering charges.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Lula served two terms as president from 2003 to 2011, and left office with record high approval ratings of around 90%. The criminal charges were levelled against him after he left office.
Despite Lula’s imprisonment, “almost 40% of people asked by polling firm Datafolha said they would vote for him”, the BBC says.
CNN reports that “running mate and former Sao Paulo Mayor Fernando Haddad will take his place on the 7 October ballot”.
In a letter to supporters, Lula urged those who had planned to vote for him to switch their vote to Haddad.
However, Hadded is relatively unknown, especially in the north-east of the country, and may struggle to overcome far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently leading in the polls at around 26%.
Bolsonaro’s campaign has been disrupted, and he is due to undergo major surgery after he was stabbed in the abdomen by an attacker at a campaign rally last Thursday.
-
How Tesla has put Elon Musk on track to be the world’s first trillionaireIn The Spotlight The package agreed by the Tesla board outlines several key milestones over a 10-year period
-
Cop30: is the UN climate summit over before it begins?Today’s Big Question Trump administration will not send any high-level representatives, while most nations failed to submit updated plans for cutting greenhouse gas emissions
-
‘The Big Crunch’: why science is divided over the future of the universeThe Explainer New study upends the prevailing theory about dark matter and says it is weakening
-
Nigeria confused by Trump invasion threatSpeed Read Trump has claimed the country is persecuting Christians
-
What is Donald Trump planning in Latin America?Today’s Big Question US ramps up feud with Colombia over drug trade, while deploying military in the Caribbean to attack ships and increase tensions with Venezuela
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
Brazilian ‘bandit bill’ prompts mass protests over potential Bolsonaro pardonIN THE SPOTLIGHT Efforts to evade consequences for an attempted coup and civic unrest have pushed thousands into the streets
-
Passing sentence in Brazil: the jailing of Jair BolsonaroIn the Spotlight In convicting Brazil’s former president, its Supreme Court has sent a powerful message about democratic accountability – but the victory may be only temporary
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
