BRAZIL'S ELECTIONS

Dilma Rousseff says she will run for Senate in Brazil's upcoming elections

The 2016 coup and Lula’s prison were some of the reasons for ousted president’s decision

Belo Horizonte |
Brazil’s ex-president announced on Thursday she is willing to run, after a meeting with Workers’ Party leaders in Belo Horizonte
Brazil’s ex-president announced on Thursday she is willing to run, after a meeting with Workers’ Party leaders in Belo Horizonte - Ricardo Stuckert

Brazil’s ousted president Dilma Rousseff announced last week that she is willing to run for Senate.

Rousseff said her decision is based on recent events, such as the prison of ex-president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. “I am not running away from this fight [the elections],” she said. In her opinion, the country’s upcoming elections are significant because they can stop the consequences of the 2016 coup.

Rousseff announced her decision during a closed-door meeting in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, with fellow Workers’ Party members including governor Fernando Pimentel and congressmen André Quintão, Durval Ângelo, Rogério Correia, Ulisses Gomes, Adelmo Carneiro Leão, and Patrus Ananias. The goal of the meeting was to discuss her running for Senate.

While Rousseff did not detailed her plans, she mentioned her project as a senator is to encourage economic development and fight inequality.

Pimentel

State congressman Durval Ângelo spoke about Minas Gerais governor Fernando Pimentel plans to run for governor again, and not for Senate, as rumored. “Our [Workers’ Party] governor is Fernando Pimentel. He’s coming with a lot of energy, and his rivals will be surprised,” Ângelo pointed out.

Edited by: Joana Tavares