Lula da Silva tours Brazil's northern states

Former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has begun a round of visits to six states in the Northeast of the country, with a starting point in Pernambuco, birthplace of the Workers' Party (PT).

This is the first large-scale political engagement since his release from prison, after being jailed without evidence during Operation Car Wash, in April 2018.  At a dinner with Governor Paulo Câmara, the agenda focused on political articulation with parties and popular movements with a view to the 2022 elections.

On Monday, Lula visited a settlement of the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST) in the Metropolitan Region of Recife, one of the traditional strongholds of the PT.  Lula's tour includes visits to the states of Piauí, Maranhão, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte and Bahia, all in the northern region of the country.

The former Brazilian president appears as a favorite to beat the current president, Jair Bolsonaro, in the October 2022 elections.