Brazil's jailed Lula wins party's presidential bid
August 4, 2018
Brazil's Workers' Party nominated its founding member Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to be the party's presidential candidate on Saturday, even though he is currently serving a prison sentence for corruption.
Da Silva, popularly known as Lula, read a message to the party convention taking place in Sao Paulo Saturday.
"Brazil needs to restore its democracy," he said.
Despite serving a 12-year prison sentence for corruption, opinion polls show him to be the most popular candidate — by a wide margin.
Elections are scheduled for October, but da Silva is expected to be barred from running.
It's unclear who might replace him on the party's ticket if that happens.
Da Silva is widely credited with lifting thousands, if not millions, of Brazilians out of poverty during his eight years in office, which ended in 2011. But he was also accused, and convicted, of enriching himself through a widespread corruption scandal.
Others nominated for Brazil's top office Saturday include the right-of-center candidate Geraldo Alckmin of the Brazilian Social Democracy party and the centrist Marina Silva of the Rede party.
Read more: Who is Brazil's ex-president Lula?
bik/rc (AFP, AP)