Neither Lula da Silva nor Flávio Bolsonaro could be the protagonists of the election campaign in Brazil

As Brazil approaches the October presidential election, recent polling indicates that incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva leads the field with 39% of the vote, compared to 32% for his primary challenger. With less than 50 days remaining until the first round of voting, the official campaign period has commenced.

Despite the focus on the leading candidates, political discourse is increasingly shaped by influential figures who are not appearing on the ballot. These external actors have become central to the campaign narrative, effectively polarizing the electorate between competing supporters and critics.