Brazilian pop star Anitta endorses Lula in the 2022 presidential election

Singer Anitta, Brazil’s top pop star of the moment, on Monday said she will back former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the election’s frontrunner.

In a social media post, the 29-year-old artist said she will support Lula even though she is not a supporter of his Workers’ Party. “I have never been one. But this year, I’m with Lula,” she tweeted. 

Anitta also said she will “make Lula’s campaign rock on the internet,” promising she will use her profiles on TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram to help the center-left candidate.

“Just ask me whatever you need. If it is within my reach and not against the electoral law, I’ll do it.” 

A few weeks earlier, the singer — who has more than 17.6 million followers on Twitter — was highly criticized on the internet after saying she would study the proposals presented by Lula and President Jair Bolsonaro before deciding her vote. 

Anitta also mentioned the assassination of a Lula supporter this weekend as reason for taking a stance. “The extremely aggressive and anti-democratic stance of these people leaves me no other option.”

Earlier this year, the pop star participated in a campaign by electoral courts to encourage 16- and 17-year-olds to register to vote. Voting is mandatory for Brazilians over the age of 18, but remains optional for citizens aged 16 an 17. After the campaign, roughly 2 million under-18 youngsters became eligible to vote.

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