Brazil’s Senate blocks Lula’s Supreme Court nominee, first rejection in 132 years

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s Senate deals a political blow President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva On Wednesday, he rejected his nomination to the Supreme Court for the first time in more than 130 years.

Only 34 senators voted in favor of Jorge Messias, Brazil’s attorney general since 2023 and a close legal adviser to Lula, while 42 other senators rejected his appointment. Messias needed 41 votes to be confirmed.

Lula, who is seeking re-election for his fourth consecutive term in October, chose Messias to replace Luís Roberto Barroso, who resigned in November. Since then, Brazil’s supreme court has operated with 10 members.

Earlier, Messias, 46, was approved by a Senate committee, but the full chamber opposed it in a secret vote.

In addition to Lula, other members of the court were openly campaigning for the attorney general, who was trying to attract votes from lawmakers with similar evangelical beliefs.

Brazil’s president will need to nominate another person who must undergo the same review before the Senate votes again.

The last time Brazil’s Senate rejected a Supreme Court nominee was in 1894, when the country’s second president, Floriano Peixoto, fell out with lawmakers.