Home · World · Oct 24 archive
Could Lula Be on the Brink of Defeat in Brazil’s Election?
· Confirmed
In Short: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and right-wing senator Flavio Bolsonaro are set to face off in a runoff election after neither candidate secured an outright majority in the first round of voting, according to reports from the Buenos Aires Times (Argentina) and the BBC (United Kingdom).
The Buenos Aires Times reported that Lula, despite economic strength, is polling six points behind Bolsonaro ahead of the October 25 runoff, while the BBC noted that Bolsonaro has a thin lead over Lula.
Both outlets agree that the runoff will determine whether Brazil remains one of the few leftist nations in the region or joins the ranks of right-wing governments.
The race has tightened in recent days, with a CNT/MDA poll cited by Al Jazeera (Qatar) showing Bolsonaro at 46.3 percent compared to Lula's 45 percent.
Datafolha, a polling institute, showed the candidates tied at 50 percent, down from a previous 52-48 advantage for Bolsonaro, according to a report by Newsweek.
Lula and Bolsonaro have both been campaigning intensely, with Lula planning visits to Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach and Sao Paulo's Avenida Paulista, while Bolsonaro will visit Rio where his father recovered after being stabbed during his 2018 campaign.
The political left has been mobilizing, with huge protests and an intense digital campaign aimed at carrying Lula to a fourth, non-consecutive term.
Both candidates have promised significant changes: Bolsonaro has vowed to resolve Brazil's crime woes and slash government spending, while Lula has emphasized welfare benefits and environmental protection.
The acrimonious campaign has been largely based on fear-mongering, highlighting the deep polarization in Brazil.
The runoff will be closely watched, with 159 million voters set to cast their ballots, and the outcome could have significant implications for Brazil's domestic and international policies.
What this adds
The race has tightened significantly, with recent polls showing a close contest between Lula and Bolsonaro.
What's confirmed
- "I am very happy with the real possibility that, three weeks from now, Brazil will give a definitive answer by choosing a modern government," he said, according to AFP.
- "He doesn't know what hunger is," Brazil's first working-class president said of Bolsonaro, who asked the incumbent: "Why are things so expensive?"
What's still developing
- Bolsonaro has styled himself as a moderate version of his firebrand father, who is serving 27 years for attempting a coup after his electoral loss to Lula in 2022.
- While in Brazil, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s chances of re-election are extremely slim despite what appears to be a situation of economic strength, in Argentina, President Javier Milei is still totally in the game as the economy stumbles on its way to a technical recession. t is fascinating to watch the Brazilian electoral process occurring just across the border, while comparing it to Argentina’s constant state of political and economic crisis.
- With all of that in his favour, Lula still lost the first-round vote to Flávio, 47 to 45 percent, and is polling some six points behind him ahead of the October 25 run-off, according to an average of the most recent polls.
- Lula said Wednesday he would not attend a debate scheduled to include Bolsonaro and two other candidates.
- SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and opposition candidate Flávio Bolsonaro snubbed a planned debate ahead of the first round of the presidential election, depriving 158 million voters from watching them face off.
- The right-wing Flávio Bolsonaro has won the first round of Brazil's presidential election, beating the incumbent left-wing President Lula da Silva, but falling short of the outright majority needed to win.
- Nearly 159 million voters head to the polls as incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva faces challenger Flávio Bolsonaro, with a runoff scheduled for October 25 if no candidate secures a majority Brasilia: Brazilians began voting on Sunday in a closely watched presidential election dominated by incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his main challenger, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro.
- In addition to choosing the country's next president, voters are also electing 27 state governors, members of state legislatures, all 513 members of the lower house of Congress, and 54 of Brazil's 81 senators.
- Bolsonaro begins from a different reading of Brazil’s interests.
- Populist Flavio Bolsonaro has secured a thin lead over incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, but the next president of Brazil will be decided in the runoff round, according to the country’s electoral court.
- "Tomorrow we start a new campaign," the 80-year-old said.
- Neither the conservative candidate, Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro, nor the socialist incumbent, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (known as Lula), secured an outright majority in the first round of voting.