Today’s Video: Barack Obama do Brasil

Several candidates running for office in Brazil have used the image of Barack Obama to call attention to their campaigns. The Democratic presidential hopeful has been praised (though not publicly endorsed) by Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. According to EFE news agency, six candidates have taken advantage of a loophole in electoral law and registered with the name of “Obama”:

Mayoral candidate Claudio Henrique dos Anjos…registered as the “Barack Obama of Belford Roxo” since, much like the black U.S. senator, he aspires to be a pioneer if elected.

“I want to enter the history books as the first black to govern Belford Roxo much like Barack Obama wants to make history as the first black U.S. president” said Dos Anjos to O Globo…

Jovelino Selis, candidate for the ruling and socialist Worker’s Party…will dispute the elections as “Barak Obama” (without the c) and Alexandre Nunes Jacinto…as "Alexandre Barack Obama". [ed. personal translation]

Though nearly 200 candidates registered with the Brazilian president’s nickname of “Lula”, Obama’s run for the White House has piqued the curiosity of Afro-Brazilians who want their own role model. In the Reuters video below, a “group of politically engaged Afro-Brazilians” have even taken to the streets to garner support and donations for Obama:

Sources (English)- Reuters India, Bloomberg

Sources (Spanish)- El Tiempo