In the final stretch of the election, Ricardo Salles,former Minister of the Environment and candidate for the Senate from São Paulo, announced on Monday (28) his withdrawal from the two Senate seats.Unable to stand out in the pollsand isolated after attempting to compete with Bolsonaroism, he has backed down and declared direct support for his former opponents, Guilherme Derrite (PP) and André do Prado (PL).
The announcement took place on the sidelines of Governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), who is seeking re-election to the Palácio dos Bandeirantes. The withdrawal ends weeks of public disputes. Since the beginning of the electoral period, Salles had been straining the relationship with former allies,accusing André do Prado's candidacy of fragmentingand weakening the far-right electorate in the state, and that he would be a centrist political figure, with whom conservatives should not engage.
To justify the retreat, the former minister stated that the country is in a "grave" situation. "The situation is so grave that differences, different opinions, must be set aside, precisely because the risk of a catastrophe in a re-election of President Lula is very great and the country does not deserve it," he added.
Governor Tarcísio de Freitas praised the retreat of his colleague. "We have to praise Ricardo Salles, who had all the legitimacy to continue on his path. He has experience, he has baggage, he has history, taking a step alongside us to help us," said the governor.