Lula and Bolsonaro rally crowds in Rio and Minas
With the vote on Sunday, the 80-year-old incumbent and the senator traded attacks in final-day events.
By Thomas Rogers ·
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Flavio Bolsonaro addressed large crowds on Saturday, the final day of campaigning before Brazil's runoff election on Sunday.
Lula, who is 80, spoke to hundreds of supporters at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro while wearing a red hat. He waved a national flag from a campaign truck as the area filled with people. The incumbent left-wing leader is seeking a fourth, non-consecutive term. He pointed to his rival's relationship with US President Donald Trump, stating that the public must choose between someone who kisses the national flag and someone who kisses the American flag.
Flavio Bolsonaro, a senator and son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, held a separate rally in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais. Hundreds of motorcyclists wearing yellow national football shirts attended the event. The first round of voting saw Bolsonaro receive 47 percent of the vote, just ahead of Lula's 45 percent.
A CNT/MDA poll released on Saturday placed Bolsonaro at 46.3 percent and Lula at 45 percent. The margin of error for the survey is 2.2 percentage points. A week prior, the same poll showed Bolsonaro leading by 46.8 percent to 45.9 percent. The results indicate the race remains statistically tied.
Ebert Dorigo, a motorcyclist at Bolsonaro's rally, told the news agency AFP that the Workers' Party had encouraged reliance on government welfare. He argued that Brazil needs a shift in direction because welfare policies have prevented some citizens from realizing that improvement comes through hard work. Dorigo said the values they uphold are nation and family.
Gabriela Ribeiro Viana, an event organizer, told AFP that the choice is difficult. She stated that while another candidate would be preferable, voters are stuck selecting between the horrible and the lesser evil. The candidates held a calmer final debate on Friday, though they continued to exchange accusations regarding the economy and their past records.
Bolsonaro has pledged to add hundreds of thousands of prison places and cut government spending. His father, who served as president from 2019 to 2022, is currently serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup after losing the 2022 election to Lula. Voters will cast their ballots on Sunday to determine the next president.
Source: Al Jazeera
