NewzSAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilians began voting Sunday in a high-stakes presidential election pitting incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva against Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, ideological opposites who are each seen as having a shot at an outright victory.If no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote, the top two vote-getters will head to a runoff on Oct. 25 in Latin America's economic powerhouse.
Ten other candidates are expected to garner much smaller numbers of votes on Sunday.Bolsonaro, 45, is the son of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro and an ally of U.S. Lula, who at 80 is one of the world’s oldest heads of state, is running in his seventh presidential election and has strengthened Brazil's ties with Beijing.Trump allies have found support in recent years in some Latin American countries, including Argentina, Colombia and Peru.Almost 159 million Brazilians are eligible to vote in this tense political showdown.Bolsonaro embraces Trump allianceWhere Bolsonaro has leaned into his ideological alliance with Trump, Lula has criticized Washington.The incumbent president has often spoken about risks of U.S. intervention in the Brazilian elections after the Trump administration imposed high tariffs against Brazilian exports, revoked the visa of the country’s ambassador in Washington and sanctioned a Supreme Court justice who chaired the investigation that ended up resulting in the sentencing of Jair Bolsonaro, Lula's predecessor.Lula told journalists after voting Sunday that he needs “to do double of what we have done” if reelected, and expressed confidence he would win in the first round.Flávio Bolsonaro has touted his proximity to the White House, although he denies his campaign received help from the U.S.
He has insisted that Brazil needs to strike better deals with the Trump administration, including the rare minerals economy. Brazil estimates that its deposits hold up to 21 million tons, second only to China. Bolsonaro also has campaigned on releasing his father from his 27-year prison sentence for attempting a coup, and bringing him back to politics.“Brazil needs change.
Brazil can’t stand so much suffering,” he told reporters at the Rio de Janeiro voting center, where he cast his vote Sunday.Brazilians will also elect 27 state governors, members of state legislatures, all 513 federal members of the lower house of congress… Brazilians began casting their votes on Sunday in a closely watch presidential election pitting incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva against right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Mara Nogueira, Senior Lecturer in Urban Geography at Birbeck, University of London, says the tight race reflects the consolidation of two political camps, with many Brazilians voting not out of support for a candidate, but to keep the other out of power.
She points to the cost of living, religion and social media echo chambers as key factors shaping the vote, alongside a major banking scandal that has so far had limited impact on Flavio Bolsonaro’s campaign. Brazilians are voting Sunday in a pivotal presidential election dominated by incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his ideological opposite, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro.Preelection polls suggested both have a chance of winning outright, but if neither gets a majority of the vote, a runoff will be held on Oct.
25.Nearly 159 million Brazilians are eligible to vote in Latin America’s largest economy. President Donald Trump and the son of ex-leader Jair Bolsonaro, whom Lula defeated four years ago.Here's the latest:Public security among voters’ top concerns in the electionMany are casting their ballots under the shadow of rising crime. Fears are most acute in Bahia, the country’s most violent state, a stronghold for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.They are also high in Rio de Janeiro, Flávio Bolsonaro’s home state, where entrenched criminal factions and urban warfare have plagued communities for decades.
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