Brazilians will vote for their next president on Sunday after neither 80-year-old incumbent left-winger Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva nor right-winger Flavio Bolsonaro garnered a majority of the votes in the election’s first round earlier this month.
Bolsonaro, who has President Donald Trump’s endorsement, is the slight favorite heading into Sunday’s runoff, with him leading by roughly one percentage point in the most recent polls released on Saturday, according to Reuters. The two candidates finalized the arguments of their campaigns on Saturday, as Lula marched along Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach, while Bolsonaro campaigned in a key battleground state.
Bolsonaro’s father, Jair Bolsonaro, was the president of Brazil from 2019 to 2023 and is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence after being convicted of plotting a coup after his 2022 loss. His son largely took over his political empire. A current senator, Bolsonaro beat Lula by five percentage points in the first round of voting.
BRAZIL HEADS TO A RUNOFF ELECTION AFTER BOLSONARO AND LULA FAIL TO GARNER A MAJORITY OF VOTES
Bolsonaro winning would likely lead to a closer relationship between the United States and Brazil. Trump has built strong relationships with other right-wing Latin American leaders, such as Argentinian President Javier Milei and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.
“The time is almost here,” Bolsonaro said in a social media video on Sunday. “There are only a few hours left before we shape the future of our nation for the next 30 or 40 years.” Bolsonaro’s campaign centers on tax cuts and cracking down on crime, and roughly 160 million people are expected to vote on Sunday.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
