Mauricio Savarese
Brazil.- Although he is behind bars, former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva continues to lead the electoral preferences ahead of the presidential elections in Brazil.

Lula, center-left, leads in a ratio of 2 to 1 to his closest opponent, the conservative legislator Jair Bolsonaro, according to a survey of the Datafolha institute released Sunday.

The poll is the first released since Lula was jailed on April 7 on charges of corruption and money laundering. The ex-governor appealed the sentence, but the electoral authorities could disqualify him as a presidential candidate.

At least 30% of respondents said they support the return of Lula to the presidency, which he held from 2003 to 2010. Two thirds of his supporters said they will vote for who he says if they exclude him from the race.

Among the 16 possible presidential candidates, Lula exceeds Bolsonaro 30% to 15%, while Marina Silva is in third place.