Brazil's Ex-President Lula Da Silva Gets Married Ahead of Presidential Election

Brazil's former president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, got married Wednesday, ahead of the presidential election that will take place in October.

According to Associated Press, Lula, who became the president of the South American nation from 2003 to 2010, wed sociologist Rosangela da Silva in a Roman Catholic ceremony with over 150 guests who sang his old and new campaign songs more than once.

The location of the wedding in Sao Paulo was kept secret until Wednesday afternoon for security reasons and fears of protests by President Jair Bolsonaro's supporters.

The couple's old friends, politicians, and artists, including Grammy award winner Gilberto Gil, were among the guests who received souvenirs with an embroidered inscription reading "O Amor Venceu" (Love has Won).

"I decided to get married again because I believe Brazil can be fixed. A man who is 76 years old and is in love like I am, willing to get married, can only want good things for this country," the 76-year-old leftist politician said during the ceremony.

Nicknamed Janja, Da Silva, 55, became Lula's third wife. The former president's two previous wives, Marisa Leticia and Maria de Lourdes, died in 2017 and 1971, respectively.

The couple started their relationship in 2017 when Lula was in jail following corruption convictions that Brazil's Supreme Court later overturned.

Brazil's Ex-President Lula da Silva's New Wife

Lula da Silva's new wife is also active in Brazil's political scene. According to France24, Rosangela da Silva is an active member of Brazil's Workers' Party. However, she is reserved when it comes to her private life.

Da Silva graduated from Parana University in the southern city of Curitiba with a degree in sociology. Lula's new wife was married for 10 years before she had a relationship with the former president.

She does not have any children. Their relationship was made public in May 2019, more than a year after Lula was imprisoned. Pictures of the pair kissing and cuddling reportedly go viral on social media regularly.

"Lula is in love and the first thing he will want to do when he leaves prison is get married," one of Lula's lawyers earlier said.

The former president previously noted that Da Silva, as the first lady, could play a role in Brazil's food security programs.

Brazil's Lula Da Silva Presidential Campaign

Lula da Silva's wedding came a week after he officially launched his campaign for the upcoming presidential election. The former president called on his supporters to unite to defeat the "totalitarian threat" without mentioning his opponent, Jair Bolsonaro, Al Jazeera reported.

Although the official campaigning will start in August, Lula started unofficially campaigning in March 2021, when the court annulled the corruption convictions that sidelined him from politics.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Launches Election Campaign - From Reuters