Brazilian presidential candidate Bolsonaro unveils surprise running mate

BRASILIA/SAO PAULO, Aug 5 - Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the leading right-wing challenger to leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in October's presidential election, named conservative Congressman Alfredo Gaspar as his running mate on Wednesday in a surprise choice that underscored his campaign's challenges.

The announcement follows weeks of uncertainty over Bolsonaro's choice, as the senator struggled to build alliances beyond his own Liberal Party (PL) and failed in an attempt to add a woman to the vice-presidential slot to broaden support.

A PL member, the 55-year-old Gaspar has represented the northeastern state of Alagoas in the lower house of Congress since 2023. He previously served as Alagoas' secretary of public security.

"I am a simple person, but one willing to fight. I will have the courage for us to confront corruption, organized crime and this shattered economy," Gaspar said at an event in Brasilia. "We will move beyond rhetoric and tackle the nation's problems."

Gaspar led a probe in Congress into the National Social Security Institute (INSS), the government agency responsible for Brazil's public pension and social security system.

Lula's son, Fabio Luis Lula da Silva, is being investigated over allegations he received improper payments linked to a scheme involving deductions from pensions administered by the INSS.

"He has the authority to discuss a subject that makes Lula uncomfortable. He also talks a lot about public safety," said Lucas de Aragao, a partner at political consultancy Arko Advice, adding that Gaspar was a surprise pick.

Gaspar on Tuesday launched a Senate campaign in Alagoas.

The lawmaker emerged as an internal PL pick to be Bolsonaro's running mate after others touted by the senator for the role — such as Senator Tereza Cristina and Daniella Marques, the former head of state-owned savings bank Caixa Economica Federal — failed to secure support from their parties to join the ticket.

Despite leaning to the right, some major Brazilian parties, including Cristina's Progressives and Marques' Republicans, have declined to nationally endorse Bolsonaro, the son of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro.

Those parties have calculated that remaining neutral in the presidential race is the best strategy to maximize their representation in Congress, hoping to appeal to voters who oppose Flavio Bolsonaro in northeastern Brazil and other Lula strongholds. REUTERS