Brazilian right-wing candidate Flavio Bolsonaro gained political momentum on Thursday after winning the endorsement of Augusto Cury, the third-place finisher in Brazil’s presidential election, boosting his campaign against incumbent leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
“My support is not a blank check,” Cury declared in a statement, following his result of nearly 3% of the vote in Sunday’s first round, behind Bolsonaro’s 47% and Lula’s 45%.
Bolsonaro, 45, is the eldest son of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently under house arrest for plotting a coup after losing Brazil’s last election in 2022.
Ahead of the announcement, the younger Bolsonaro held a polling lead on Thursday, with the Datafolha institute reporting 52% for the senator versus 48% for Lula.
Lula, 81, downplayed the poll numbers as he pursued a fourth term.
“I do not assess polls, I do not work that way,” Lula said at a press conference on Thursday. “I work knowing that I need more votes than Flavio to win the election. I have 17 days to achieve that.”
As Bolsonaro leans on his gathering alliances in the campaign’s final stretch, Lula is expanding his social media footprint, an arena where the right currently holds an advantage.
Thousands demonstrated in Sao Paulo and other cities on Thursday against a far-right return to power in Brazil, one day after a comparable march in Rio de Janeiro.
Renan Santos, the fourth most popular candidate with 2.6 million votes, has refused to align with either leading candidate.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Also Read
- Raytheon Secures $6.3 Billion Multi-Year Contract for SM-3 IB Interceptors
- Spain’s housing crisis fuels snap election as protests erupt over evictions and unaffordable rents
- Key Insights from Michigan’s Senate Debate Between Abdul El‑Said and Mike Rogers
- Beyond the Model: How AI Labs Are Building Corporate Partnerships in Southeast Asia
