MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil: Bolsonaro officially launched reelection bid

“We do not want Brazil to be dominated by a (foreign) power, and we have other powers with their eyes on Brazil,” Bolsonaro told his supporters

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro Sunday officially launched his candidacy for reelection at the Maracanaziho stadium in Rio de Janeiro. In his speech, the head of state once again criticized the country’s Judiciary and announced a new batch of measures to help the neediest.

Joining Bolsonaro at the event were former President Fernando Collor de Mello and retired footballer Romario.

According to the latest Datafolha survey, the opposition candidate and also former President Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva would get 47% of the vote on Oct. 2, against Bolsonaro’s 28%.

The Liberal Party also announced General Walter Souza Braga Netto will be Bolsonaro’s running mate for the Vice Presidency.

Bolsonaro also called on his supporters to stage a nationwide protest Spt. 7 (Independence Day), less than one month before the elections.

”We are going to the streets for the last time (...) those few deaf people in black cloaks (dressed as magistrates) have to understand the voice of the people, they all have to play within the four lines (of the playing field) of the Constitution,” underlined Bolsonaro.

“We do not want Brazil to be dominated by a (foreign) power, and we have other powers with their eyes on Brazil,“ he added.

Bolsonaro had convened dozens of foreign ambassadors to his Brasilia residence to tell them about the alleged flaws in the electronic voting system, which he argued would help Lula’s return to power. The incumbent head of state also accused Superior Electoral Court Chief Justice Edson Fachin of conspiring to that end.

According to the latest Quaest poll, Lula would get 45% of the votes against Bolsonaro’s 31% for Bolsonaro, who narrowed the gap by two percentage points from the same pollster’s previous report.

The Bolsonaro administration is banking on the US$ 8 billion aid package to boost the retired Army captain’s chances of reelection. ”This government extinguished the [Lula-created] Bolsa Familia [plan] that paid R$ 190 (US$ 38) and now with Auxilio Brasil we go to R$ 600 (US$ 120),“ Bolsonaro underlined.

The President also announced that ”I spoke with the Minister of Economy, Paulo Guedes, and this value (US$120) will be maintained in 2023,” which he can only deliver if he is reelected.

Sunday’s rally was held at the Maracanazinho indoor stadium, in the northern area of Rio de Janeiro, next to Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Maracana, with the participation of 1994 World Cup winner Romario, who is leading in the polls to renew his mandate as federal Senator for Rio. Also present were former President Collor de Mello (1990-1992), Vice President General Hamilton Mourao, and Liberal Party Chairman Valdemar Costa Neto.

Also speaking during the event was First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro, who recalled the stabbing her husband suffered while campaigning in 2018 before a crowd of about 10,000 supporters.

Bolsonaro's advisors insisted that the campaign should focus on a proactive agenda, aimed at lowering fuel prices and improving the living conditions of the population instead of on the potential weaknesses of the electronic ballot box, which are an obsession that does not bring on any new votes, it was reported.