On Saturday, Brazil’s two leading presidential candidates concluded their campaigns with large public rallies. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva led a march in the morning along Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro and later travelled to São Paulo for a second rally. Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, rode a motorcycle through Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais, and then marched in Rio, ending at the house where his father is currently under house arrest in Brasília after a 27‑year prison sentence for an attempted coup. Both rallies drew tens of thousands of supporters. The final day of campaigning comes as Brazil prepares for a second‑round presidential election on Sunday, when an estimated 159 million voters will choose the next president, who will take office on 5 January 2027. In the first round, Flávio Bolsonaro received 47 % of the vote, the highest share, while Lula received 45 %. No candidate has ever won a second‑round election in Brazil since the country’s return to democracy in 1985. Polls released on Saturday by Datafolha and Quaest show a close race, with Bolsonaro at 51 % of valid votes and Lula at 49 %, a margin within the two‑point error range. During his Copacabana rally, Lula declared that he was “convinced” he would be elected president for a fourth term. He criticized Bolsonaro’s campaign, calling him a “milician,” a “liar,” and a “person not qualified” to lead the country, citing alleged links between the Bolsonaro family and Rio de Janeiro paramilitary groups. Lula also warned that “the risk to democracy, freedom, and good people in this country is real.” Flávio Bolsonaro, speaking to the press in Rio, said Brazil had “grown tired of waiting” for Lula and wanted “change.” He added that the current government “promises a lot and delivers nothing,” and that the country is no longer divided between left and right but is united in the desire for change. He was accompanied by his wife, Fernanda Bolsonaro, in a video posted on social media. The campaign has attracted attention beyond Brazil’s borders. Chilean former president Gabriel Boric sent a message to Lula praising his impact on the lives of many people. Argentine president Javier Milei, who supports Bolsonaro, called Lula a “thief” and “liar” after the latter’s remarks in a televised debate on Friday, in which Lula suggested that some Argentines eat donkey meat due to austerity measures. The election will determine whether Brazil continues its recent left‑leaning trajectory under Lula or shifts to a right‑leaning administration under Bolsonaro. The outcome will also influence political trends across Latin America.
Article source: El Nuevo Diario | Image credit: El Nuevo Diario