By Agustin Benito
More than 150 million Brazilians will have to go to the polls next Oct. 30 to reelect Jair Bolsonaro as president or return Luiz Lula da Silva to power.
A runoff for governors will also be held in 12 of the 27 states. In the remaining 15, governors (elected by an absolute majority on Oct. 2) are turning to campaign for their favorite presidential candidates.
And the majority (9) are with Jair Bolsonaro.
The governor of Minas Gerais, Romeu Zema, declared his support for Bolsonaro two days after the first round of the elections.
Cláudio Castro, governor of Rio de Janeiro, also supports the president, saying he is “the best president” for the country.
For his part, Carlos Massa “Ratinho” Junior, reelected governor of Paraná, also announced his support for Bolsonaro for the second round.
“He was the president who invested more in the state in the last 30 years. The people of Paraná have great virtue and gratitude; the president’s government represents what the great majority understands as important values of a society: the defense of the family, property, appreciation for life,” he asserted.
So did the governor of Acre, Gladson Cameli. “I will support Jair Bolsonaro. I cannot do otherwise. The president has been very loyal to our state, discussing borders and support of the armed forces. I am very grateful to him,” he said.
Ronaldo Caiado, the governor of Goiás, declared his support for Jair Bolsonaro. In the state, the president won more than 52% of the votes last October 2. And Mauro Mendes, governor of Mato Grosso, with almost 70% of the votes.
“When the world shows a strong economic slowdown, Brazil controls inflation and generates thousands of jobs.
“We are facing an opportunity to continue walking towards the future and not taking a step towards the past,” he declared after the first round.
Antonio Denarium, governor of Roraima, also supports Bolsonaro, whom he thanks for “tireless help”. “Run away from Lula da Silva so as not to have to run away from Brazil,” he asserted.
And Wanderlei Barbosa, governor-elect of Tocantins, with more than 58% of the votes. In this state, Lula da Silva won in the first round with 50.40% of the support, but now Bolsonaro is confident of victory.
“The policies promoted by the Federal Government managed to dynamize our economy,” said Barbosa.
On Oct. 5, the reelected governor of the Federal District, Ibaneis Rocha (MDB), announced his support for President Jair Bolsonaro (Liberal Party – PL, right) in the runoff elections to the presidential palace.
“We are going to walk the streets of Distrito Federal with the population, especially the neediest population, to get the votes to reelect President Bolsonaro,” said Ibaneis Rocha, reelected governor of Distrito Federal.
LULA DA SILVA’S SUPPORT
For his part, Lula da Silva (Workers’ Party – PT, left) has the support of Clécio, governor-elect of Amapá; Helder Barbalho, of Pará and Carlos Brandão, of Maranhão, who said that “electing Lula da Silva as president is the best option for the country and also for Maranhão”.
And the governor-elect of Ceará, Elmano Freitas, a state where the candidate of the Sao Paulo Forum and the Puebla Group won more than 65% of the votes in the first round, and of Piauí, Rafael Fonteles, who last Tuesday called for “reinforcing Lula da Silva’s campaign” for the second round.
In addition, the reelected governor of Rio Grande do Norte, Fátima Bezerra, is the coordinator of Lula da Silva’s campaign in the state.
In a recent interview after the first round, she added that “the legacy of social inclusion left by Lula da Silva in the Northeast is solid.”
“I doubt Lula da Silva will lose this election,” she added.
With information from Gaceta