Breaking: Shock as president joins another party

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro officially joined the centrist Liberal Party on Tuesday, a key political deal in his quest for reelection in 2022.

After two years without a political party, Bolsonaro decided to join one of the parties in the so-called Center group, a sign that he is changing course from his 2018 campaign strategy, when he sharply criticized old-school political practices.

“It is a simple event, but very important so that we can compete for something later,” Bolsonaro said in Brasilia during the ceremony in which a Cabinet minister and one of his sons, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, also joined the Liberals.

Bolsonaro hopes the alliance can help him defeat his nemesis, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who served from 2003 to 2011 and will likely try for a third term in 2022. “Lula,” as da Silva is universally known, leads Bolsonaro in the main polls.

The Liberal Party became the ninth party of Bolsonaro’s political career, which began as councilman of Rio de Janeiro in the late 1980s. Like other Center parties, the Liberals are known for ideological malleability and for making alliances to seek shares of government appointments and funding. In 2002, the party allied with da Silva to r

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro officially joined the centrist Liberal Party on Tuesday, a key political deal in his quest for reelection in 2022.

After two years without a political party, Bolsonaro decided to join one of the parties in the so-called Center group, a sign that he is changing course from his 2018 campaign strategy, when he sharply criticized old-school political practices.

“It is a simple event, but very important so that we can compete for something later,” Bolsonaro said in Brasilia during the ceremony in which a Cabinet minister and one of his sons, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, also joined the Liberals.

Bolsonaro hopes the alliance can help him defeat his nemesis, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who served from 2003 to 2011 and will likely try for a third term in 2022. “Lula,” as da Silva is universally known, leads Bolsonaro in the main polls.

The Liberal Party became the ninth party of Bolsonaro’s political career, which began as councilman of Rio de Janeiro in the late 1980s. Like other Center parties, the Liberals are known for ideological malleability and for making alliances to seek shares of government appointments and funding. In 2002, the party allied with da Silva to r