Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 30 May 2018

With Brazil's da Silva in jail, his region's vote in doubt

By MAURICIO SAVARESE the poverty line compared
Associated Press to 9.6 million in 2012.
GARANHUNS, Brazil (AP) — Da Silva's humble
To many in his hometown, beginnings and everyman
former President Luiz Inacio charisma also help him
Lula da Silva is a hero who identify with voters in the
pulled millions from poverty region. Da Silva's family
and who deserves to be moved from Garanhuns
elected to lead Brazil to the southwest state of
once again this year. Yet Sao Paulo, the country's
so far, nobody has yet put industrial center, when he
up posters or banners to was 7 years old. As an adult,
promote him in this city of he rose through the ranks
almost 140,000 people, as a metalworkers union
part of a region that will be leader, eventually winning
pivotal in deciding the next the presidency during his
leader of Latin America's fourth campaign.
largest nation. That track record is why
The jailing of da Silva — and 21 percent of Brazilians
his likely disqualification polled by Datafolha in
from the presidential April said they wouldn't
race — has left a huge vote if da Silva is not on
political question mark the ballot, although voting
over Brazil, nowhere more In this May 5, 2018 photo, Eraldo dos Santos stands inside a replica of the birth home his cousin, is supposedly mandatory.
than in the hardscrabble former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in Garanhuns, Pernambuco state, Brazil. The same poll also said two-
northeast that was crucial Associated Press thirds of da Silva supporters
to the victories of da Silva's region's blazing sun. candidate picked by da over his nearest rival, would back whoever he
Workers' Party in Brazil's last Although Brazilian law Silva. Still others, angry over conservative Congressman endorses.
four presidential elections. bans da Silva from running several years of corruption Jair Bolsonaro. In the They include even
Its 38 million eligible voters because his corruption scandals that have northeast, however, da some conservative
are nearly a fourth of the conviction has been implicated da Silva, say Silva polled at about 50 northeasterners like Livio
nation's total. upheld on appeal, the they are looking beyond percent, while all rivals Chaves, who owns a gas
Many say they're still not former leader and his party him, but don't know where. were in single digits. station and raises goats
ready to vote for anyone still insist there are ways Natalia Oliveira, who Da Silva's mark on the in Sertania, a city of
other than the man known to get him on the ballot. says she is "apolitical" but northeast would be 35,000 in the dry lands of
across Brazil as Lula. Paintings, posters and still adores the former impossible to erase. Pernambuco state. Chaves
"Lula will be the first prisoner banners in many cities say president, says people like Between the year da said his vote will be based
elected president," said "Free, Lula!" while others her feel lost. Silva took office and 2013, on the billions of dollars
farmer Jorge Rodrigues de portray him as a crook who "We feel like orphans," the last year before an in investment to irrigate
Melo, a childhood neighbor should remain jailed, a sign she said at the bar she economic plunge under local farms with waters
of da Silva. "I believe police of deep polarization. owns in Brasilia Teimosa, successor Dilma Rousseff, from the transfer of the Sao
will take him from jail to his In a handful of letters a neighborhood in city of the economy in the Francisco River.
inauguration." from jail, da Silva has Recife that was transformed northeast grew an average The project, which provides
A booming economy repeated he plans to from a dangerous slum into of 4.1 percent per year water to four drought-
under da Silva's 2003- run, in part because not a modern beachfront area compared to 3.3 percent prone states, stands as
2010 governments, which doing so would be akin to during Da Silva's second nationally, according to one of the most ambitious
included hikes to the admitting guilt. Da Silva term. "Who will we vote for? the central bank. undertakings of da Silva's
minimum wage and has repeatedly denied It is so sad, but that's where Meanwhile, social time in office.
several social welfare wrongdoing. we are at." programs and strong "I want the continuation
programs, helped de Melo While many die-hard A Datafolha institute poll economic growth helped of a project that helped
gain enough extra money backers may not vote taken in April after the change the daily reality for us in the northeast and still
he could afford a third for anybody if da Silva former president was jailed millions: When da Silva was needs to be completed,"
horse and buy better hats doesn't run, others say they found he had a roughly elected, 21.4 million people said Chaves.
to protect him from the are open to supporting a 2-1 advantage nationwide in the northeast were under "I want (Lula). q