Lula and Bolsonaro draw thousands on eve of Brazil run-off as polls point to a knife-edge finish
Brazil's presidential candidates Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Flavio Bolsonaro rallied thousands of supporters in a final show of campaign strength on the last day of campaigning before Sunday's run-off. The pivotal vote will determine whether Brazilians stick with their left-wing leader or shift towards the right.
Donning a red hat, Lula addressed hundreds of supporters at Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach, waving a Brazilian flag from a campaign truck. He told the crowd that the people must choose either someone who kisses the national flag or someone who kisses the American flag, a reference to his opponent's ties to US President Donald Trump.
The 80-year-old Lula is seeking a fourth, non-consecutive term in Sunday's run-off, which will task Brazilians with determining whether to stick with their incumbent left-wing leader or join a broader regional shift towards the right.
Bolsonaro, a senator and son of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, secured 47 percent of the vote in the first round, narrowly ahead of Lula's 45 percent.
Recent polling shows the two men remain about even on the eve of the election. A CNT/MDA survey released on Saturday put Bolsonaro at 46.3 percent compared with 45 percent for Lula. Last week, the same poll showed a slightly closer race, with Bolsonaro leading Lula 46.8 percent to 45.9 percent. The poll's margin of error was 2.2 percentage points.
In another measure cited in the coverage, a Datafolha poll put the candidates at 50 percent each. The surveys differ in detail, but they point in the same direction: the outcome is too close to call in advance.
On Saturday, Bolsonaro's supporters, including hundreds of motorcyclists wearing Brazil's yellow national football shirts, gathered in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais.
One of those supporters, Ebert Dorigo, told the news agency AFP that he accused Lula's Workers' Party (PT) of encouraging dependence on government welfare, arguing that a change in direction was needed for the country. He said the values they uphold are nation and family, and that improvement and achievement come only through hard work.
The bitter campaign has exposed deep divisions over economic policy, crime and Brazil's political future. Bolsonaro has pledged to tackle those issues with hundreds of thousands of more spots in prison and cuts to government spending.
His father, who served as president from 2019 to 2022, is serving a 27-year prison sentence for attempting a coup after losing that year's election to Lula.
The two candidates struck a calmer tone during their final debate on Friday, although they traded accusations over the country's economic difficulties and their respective records. Saturday's rallies brought back the heat of the campaign after that calmer debate.
For some voters, however, the choice has been a difficult one. Gabriela Ribeiro Viana, an event organiser, told AFP that if there were any other candidate, that would be a better option, but voters are stuck choosing between the worst, the horrible, and the lesser evil.
Once voting ends on Sunday and results begin to arrive, it will become clear which path Brazil has chosen. For now, both camps are busy trying to turn last-minute support into votes, while the whole country watches for a close and uncertain result.
