Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva can count on the support of center-right senator Simone Tebet.

Very courted after obtaining the third score in the first round of the Brazilian presidential election (4% of the vote), she announced, Wednesday, October 5, her rallying to Lula (left) against Jair Bolsonaro (extreme right).

"I will vote for Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva because I recognize in him a commitment to democracy and the Constitution that I do not recognize in the president" Bolsonaro, said Simone Tebet, 52, during a speech to the press in a hotel in Sao Paulo.

"I will not vote blank, to be neutral would be to sin by omission", added this fervent Catholic, while her party, the MDB, had not given instructions, preferring to let its members "follow their conscience".

Pelo meu amor ao Brasil, à democracia e à Constituição, pela coragem que nunca me faltou, não anularei meu voto, não votarei em branco.

+

— Simone Tebet (@simonetebetbr) October 5, 2022

Helpful vote

The senator, who weighs nearly five million votes, however criticized the former left-wing president (2003-2010) for having "called for a useful vote without presenting concrete proposals in the face of the real problems of Brazil".

But she especially fired red balls on the balance sheet of Jair Bolsonaro.

“For the past four years, Brazil has been abandoned to hatred and discord. Denial has delayed the purchase of (anti-Covid) vaccines, weapons have taken the place of books,” said this trained lawyer.

Last year, she had played a central role in the Senate Commission of Inquiry which delivered a damning report on the government's handling of the pandemic.

Lula recorded another strong support on Wednesday: that of his predecessor as president, Fernando Henrique Cardoso (center right, 1995-2002).

"FHC" announced on Twitter that he was going to vote for his opponent in the 1994 and 1998 presidential elections, which he believes embodies "the fight for democracy and social inclusion".

Vote "for democracy

"Thank you for your vote and your trust. Brazil needs dialogue and peace," Lula replied on the same social network.

A week before the first round, "FHC" called for a vote "for democracy", but did not mention the name of the former left-wing president.

Lula obtained 48.4% of the vote on Sunday, ahead of Bolsonaro, whose score was better than expected, with 43.2%.

The far-right president garnered significant support on Tuesday, including that of former anti-corruption judge Sergio Moro, his former justice minister, who had nevertheless resigned with a bang in 2020.

Jair Bolsonaro was also supported by the governors of the three most populous states in the country: Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro (southeast), to which were added, on Wednesday, those of Parana (south) and the Federal District of Brasilia (center-west).

Discover the webdoc devoted to the presidential election in Brazil © Graphic studio France Médias Monde

With AFP

The summary of the

France 24 week invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you!

Download the France 24 app