Brazil's PL Party Leader Doubts Economist's Electoral Appeal for Vice Presidency

Valdemar Costa Neto, the national president of Brazil's Liberal Party (PL), has publicly stated that Daniella Marques, an economist being considered as a potential running mate for presidential hopeful Flávio Bolsonaro, "doesn't have votes." Costa Neto expressed this opinion in an interview with O Globo, suggesting that while Marques is highly regarded by business leaders and is competent, the ideal vice presidential candidate must possess electoral appeal.

Costa Neto proposed Senator Tereza Cristina as the "ideal candidate," citing her charisma as crucial for a presidential election. However, Cristina has reportedly shown no interest in the role. Furthermore, her political affiliation with the União Brasil-PP coalition has signaled a lack of support for Flávio Bolsonaro's candidacy, a sentiment echoed by the Republicanos party, to which Marques belongs.

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She has a lot of prestige with businesspeople and she is very competent. Now, in my opinion, it has to be someone who has votes. Bolsonaro [former president] will decide. Him and Flávio.

Adding a layer of complexity, a recent decision by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes suspended Jair Bolsonaro's visitation rights for 30 days and prohibited political-electoral visits and manifestos until the 2026 elections. This ruling could formally impede Bolsonaro's participation in deciding Flávio's vice presidential pick, a decision Costa Neto indicated would be made by Jair and Flávio Bolsonaro.

The PL party has until July 25 to finalize its convention and until August 5 to officially name its vice presidential candidate. Marques, a former president of Caixa Econômica Federal, has been actively involved in Flávio Bolsonaro's campaign, focusing on economic proposals for women. Despite these efforts, her viability as a candidate remains uncertain amid internal party discussions and potential external political constraints.

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The ideal candidate would be Tereza Cristina. She has charisma and that is very important in a presidential election, that pulls votes.