Brazil president joins centrist party with election ahead

By MARCELO SILVA DE SOUSA
Associated Press

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has officially joined the centrist Liberal Party — a key political deal in his quest for reelection in 2022. After two years without a political party, Bolsonaro’s decision to join one of the parties in the so-called Center group is a sign that he’s changing course from his 2018 campaign strategy, when he sharply criticized old-school political practices. Bolsonaro hopes the alliance can help him defeat his nemesis, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The Liberals are known for ideological malleability and for making alliances to seek shares of government appointments and funding.