In this week’s issue: The most important facts of the week. Fernando Haddad polls at 15% once voters know he’s Lula’s understudy.
The week in review
- Stock market. Two events rocked the stock market this week. The first was a report from G1 that the São Paulo State Prosecution Office is considering filing charges against center-right presidential candidate Geraldo Alckmin, suspected of having pocketed BRL 10m in illegal campaign donations. The other was a poll by XP/Ipespe published on Friday showing Fernando Haddad, Lula’s fill-in candidate, polling as high as 15% (more below).
- Lula 1. The destiny of former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the Superior Electoral Court is in the hands of Justice Luís Roberto Barroso, a fervent supporter of Brazil’s Clean Slate Law – which prohibits candidates from seeking public office after multiple corruption convictions. In January, Lula was convicted for corruption and money laundering by a court of appeals.
- Lula 2. Still, the former president gained an ally: the UN human rights committee, which ruled on Friday that he cannot be disqualified from the election because his legal appeals are ongoing. Lula’s defense team say that the decision is binding, as Brazil is a signatory of international treaties....