Brazil: Lula officially drops out of presidential race Sep. 10 /update 8

Event

Brazil's Workers Party (PT) officials announced on Tuesday, September 11, that the former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Lula) is withdrawing his name from the upcoming presidential election; Lula's running mate, Fernando Haddad, has been nominated to replace Lula as the PT candidate. Lula was previously barred from running in the October 7 election as he is currently serving a jail sentence on corruption charges. Associated protests by Lula supporters are possible in the coming days and weeks, accompanied by an increased security presence. Clashes and other violent acts are possible at any protests, along with localized traffic disruptions.

Context

On September 1, Brazil's electoral court officially barred Lula from running as a candidate in the presidential election and gave PT officials until September 11 to remove Lula from the party's ticket and name a new candidate.

Lula was president from 2003 to 2011 and, as the country's first working-class ruler, was and remains a popular figure among much of the population. Lula was convicted of corruption and sentenced to 12 years in rulings made in July 2017 and January 2018 but had remained free until April amid the appeals process. Lula and the PT have characterized his conviction as a political witch-hunt intended to keep him out of office.

Advice

Individuals in Brazil are advised to keep abreast of the situation and the sociopolitical climate, as well as to avoid all associated demonstrations or political events due to the potential for violence.