Lula and Bolsonaro Son Battle for Brazilian Presidency in Nail-Biter Race

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his rival Flavio Bolsonaro mounted a final push for votes on Saturday ahead of a fiercely contested election overshadowed by scandals and bitter personal attacks.

Lula, 80, rolled through Brazil’s economic hub Sao Paulo atop a campaign truck, surrounded by a sea of red-clad supporters as he vowed to “defeat the far right.”

The veteran leftist is vying for a fourth and final term in office, cautioning voters that Brazil’s sovereignty hangs in the balance amid pressure from US President Donald Trump.

Lula faces a tight contest against right-wing senator Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro — a close Trump ally currently serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup after his failed 2022 re-election bid.

Opinion polls indicate neither candidate is likely to secure a first-round victory Sunday, with both locked in a statistical dead heat ahead of an October 25 runoff.

Flavio Bolsonaro led a convoy of hundreds of motorcycles through the interior of Sao Paulo state, echoing the style of his father. Unlike Jair Bolsonaro, he rode in the back of a campaign truck rather than on a bike.

“Let’s go, Brazil wants change,” he said in a video published before the rally.

The Trump factor

A Flavio Bolsonaro victory would mark Brazil’s latest shift to the right, joining a growing wave of Latin American nations moving away from left-wing leadership.

Though Trump has not formally endorsed the senator, he has said he is “very closely” monitoring the election.

Lula has urged Trump to refrain from “meddling” in Brazil’s democratic process.

His supporters donned caps and T-shirts bearing slogans such as “Make Lula President Again” and “Brazil belongs to Brazilians.”

Adriana Lima, 44, an early childhood educator dressed entirely in red, told AFP that Lula was “the only president who cared about the people.”

“We also have an issue with Trump wanting to treat Brazil like their backyard, so we absolutely cannot let that happen. It’s a very important election,” she added.

Another Lula supporter, accountant Tiago Lorureto, 35, described the election as “a choice between democracy and barbarism.”

‘Never any money’

The younger Bolsonaro has campaigned on a platform of hardline security policies and fiscal austerity, labeling Lula “incompetent” and highlighting the soaring cost of living.

Marcelo Peressim, 50, who owns a packaging company, attended Flavio Bolsonaro’s rally carrying a portrait of the candidate’s father.

“We work almost 24 hours a day to have a good life and provide a good life for our families… yet there’s never any money left over for us to do anything,” he said.

Homemaker Eliane Boscolo, 47, suggested Trump would have no reason to intervene in Brazil’s elections “if the country were doing well.”

“We need things to improve here. If his intervention is necessary, I’m all for it,” she added.

Scandals and insults

The campaign has been bitter in this deeply divided nation, with policies and promises eclipsed by a barrage of scandals and personal attacks as candidates fight for every undecided voter.

It emerged during the campaign that Flavio Bolsonaro was under investigation for corruption related to the financing of the biopic “Dark Horse” about his father.

The biopic was bankrolled by jailed banker Daniel Vorcaro, who is under investigation in one of the country’s largest financial scandals ensnaring figures in power.

Massive online operations by both camps saw the rivals exploit every gaffe, accusation, and rumor, rapidly producing polished videos and AI-generated images for social media.

The stakes are high: In 2022, Lula defeated Jair Bolsonaro by a razor-thin margin of just 1.8 percentage points.

While the presidential race dominates headlines, Brazil’s nearly 160 million registered voters are also electing lawmakers, governors, and some senators.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Source link