But it seems all but certain that da Silva's days as a free man are numbered and that he will be jailed in the coming weeks. A January Datafolha poll indicated that da Silva would lead a crowded field with between 34 and 37 percent of votes in the first round. In scenarios that do not include da Silva, other Workers' Party politicians have polled in the low single digits. Da Silva, who is universally known as Lula in Brazil, left office in 2010 with sky-high approval ratings. Da Silva was convicted last year of trading favors with construction company OAS in return for the promise of a beachfront apartment.

Source: ABC News March 25, 2018 18:55 UTC