Far‑Left PCO Orders Null Votes in Brazil's Presidential Runoff

Overview

• The Partido da Causa Operária approved guidance to cast null votes in the presidential second round and remaining gubernatorial runoffs at its 39th National Conference in São Paulo on Sunday, October 11.
• PCO president Rui Costa Pimenta publicly reiterated the orientation on X, saying the move defends class independence and that Lula no longer meets the party's conditions for support.
• The party lists several reasons for the break with Lula, including criticism of his third‑term economic policies, the fiscal framework, ties with the Supreme Federal Court, and foreign‑policy choices on Palestine and Venezuela.
• Pimenta was the PCO's 2026 presidential candidate and won 15,024 votes in the first round, meaning the party says the null vote is symbolic and is unlikely to change the national outcome.
• The PCO framed the decision as a rejection of 'lesser evil' voting and a return to revolutionary principles, which highlights splits within Brazil's broader left and recalls the party's uneven history of tactical support for Lula in past elections.