The by now scandal ridden director Mr Woody Allen made one of his debut movies in the 1970s called ‘Bananas’, which dealt with, amongst other issues, the socialist activism of South America and how you can either choose for the extreme left or the extreme right, but nothing in between.
It would indeed appear that Brazil, South America’s largest nation, will have such a choice in its October presidential election as two candidates lead the pack.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Workers' Party in Brazil named jailed former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Saturday as its presidential nominee. <a href="https://t.co/yDZW25CSql">https://t.co/yDZW25CSql</a> <a href="https://t.co/BDamUrY655">pic.twitter.com/BDamUrY655</a></p>— ABC News (@ABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1026035114227187712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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A right-wing leader, Mr Bolsonaro (who led earlier polls, see our related coverage) wanting a return to military style rule in order the squash the crime wave that has hit the country, or a leftwing leader (and former president) who will be replaced by whoever he deems necessary as Mr Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, nominated by the ruling Worker’s Party is currently serving a prison sentence for corruption.
Related coverage: <a href="https://thegoldwater.com/news/31143-Brazil-Three-Months-Before-Elections-Far-Right-Candidate-Bolsonaro-Still-Leads">Three months before elections, far-right candidate Bolsonaro still leads</a>.
Yes, this is indeed the sorry state of affairs in Brazil right now.
Mr Da Silva, known worldwide as Lula, read a message to the party convention taking place in Sao Paulo stating that "Brazil needs to restore its democracy."
Though he is indeed serving a 12-year prison sentence for corruption, most opinion polls show him to be the most popular candidate (by a wide margin), although voters don’t know who will replace him as courts are expected to bar an imprisoned candidate from running.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Brazil Ex-President Lula Nominated For Poll Despite Jail Term <a href="https://t.co/TRdHfMUjP7">https://t.co/TRdHfMUjP7</a> <a href="https://t.co/MbxyLX2fO3">pic.twitter.com/MbxyLX2fO3</a></p>— Tatahfonewsarena (@TatahfoArena) <a href="https://twitter.com/TatahfoArena/status/1026026875536076806?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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On the right meanwhile, retired army captain Mr Jair Bolsonaro continues to lead the pack. Pleading for a return to military style law-and order appeals greatly in Brazil, which now has 19 of the world’s most violent cities. His popularity soared as the 2014–2016 recession left many Brazilians in poverty again and Mr Bolsonaro lashed out against corruption, rising crime and the existing establishment.
Related coverage: <a href="https://thegoldwater.com/news/25024-Brazil-Far-Right-Candidate-Leads-Presidential-Election-Polls">Brazil far-right candidate leads early polls</a>.
His messages are well received on social media and it seems the younger generations have had enough of the left after subsequent scandals with Worker’s party Presidents Lula, Temer and Rousseff, who have all been accused of widespread corruption.
Related coverage: <a href="https://thegoldwater.com/news/22641-Brazil-Former-President-Lula-Surrenders-To-Police-To-Begin-12-Year-Prison-Sentence">Lula surrenders to police to begin 12 year prison sentence</a>.
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.
Source:
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