Members of the Rural Landless Movement (MST) protested in front of Brazil's Federal Supreme Court (STF) on July 21, to demand former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva be release from prison and allowed to register as a presidential candidate in the October general elections.
MST members have also announced that they will organise a nationwide march on the capital Brasilia between August 12-15 to register Lula's presidential candidacy.
“The aim of the march is to face the Brazilian people as we pass by cities and denounce the political imprisonment of Lula and denounce the arbitrary violations of this coup-mongering process against the Brazilian people,” Lopes said.
Lula has been detained at the federal police headquarters in Curitiba since April 7. Despite his imprisonment, an event that many legal experts and observers attribute to “lawfare” and a salacious mainstream media campaign, he has topped every electoral poll conducted by Vox Populi, Ibope, Datafolha, Data Poder 360, Instituto Parana, the National Confederation of Transportation/MDA and Ipsos this year.
The latest Ipespe survey, taken between July 9-11, indicates that Lula continues leading the pack of presidential hopefuls with 30% of voter intentions. The poll also showed him prevailing against his nearest rival, far right-wing congressperson Jair Bolsonaro, in the second round of voting (40% to 33%).
Lula's two terms in office were marked by a slew of social programs, lifting millions of people out of poverty and removing the country from the United Nations World Hunger Map.
He left office with a record approval rating of 83% in 2011, according to Datafolha.
[Abridged from TeleSUR English.]