Haddad Takes Last Shot to Win Presidential Elections in Brazil

By Lise Alves, Senior Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – In a final push to win over undecided and those who are thinking about annulling their votes, Brazilian presidential candidate, Fernando Haddad, of the PT (Workers’ Party) criticized his opponent on Friday and stated he hoped for explicit support from third runner-up, Ciro Gomes.

“We will get 3 to 4 [percentage] points with the support of Ciro [Gomes],” said Haddad on Friday while campaigning in Salvador, Bahia.

Gomes, who came in third place in the first round of elections, left for Europe soon after the first round and returned to Brazil on Friday night.Before traveling, he stated that he would not vote for Bolsonaro but did not say he would support the PT candidate. Gomes’ party, the PDT defended a ‘critical support’ for Haddad.

Greeted by dozens of supporters in the Fortaleza Airport Friday night, Ciro Gomes did not comment on Sunday’s elections, nor said who he was planning to vote for.

While in Bahia, Haddad criticized right-wing candidate Jair Bolsonaro for his refusal to participate in nationally televised debates.

“The people are waking up to the unknown that is Bolsonaro,” said the candidate.

“He calls it strategy not going to debates. I’ve never seen anyone who says he is a military [career] man the Army stating that the strategy is to hide, to run away. He does not honor even the Armed Forces, to which he claims to belong,” added Haddad.

The PT candidate also took the time on Friday to ask through social media that voters not be led by ‘hatred and lies’. Violence due to the election spiked after the first round of elections on October 7th, with persons being attacked both verbally and physically from supporters from opposing candidates.

“Let’s turn this election around, correct the mistakes and get the right answers back. Hatred will not lead Brazil anywhere,” he told reporters in Bahia.

The latest opinion poll by Datafolha, released Thursday, October 25th, Jair Bolsonaro had 56 percent of voter intention Fernando Haddad’s 44 percent.