Brazil Votes in Run-Off Between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro

Polls have opened in Brazil for the presidential run-off, a closely fought contest between incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and right-wing senator Flávio Bolsonaro. Lula, 80, is seeking a fourth non-consecutive term. Bolsonaro is 45.

Flávio Bolsonaro is the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election. He finished first in the 4 October opening round, a result US President Donald Trump called a "very big" victory. No candidate who trailed after the first round has ever overturned the gap and won the second.

Bolsonaro appeared at a polling station in Rio de Janeiro early on Sunday and told reporters that "time has come for real change". On the eve of the vote he campaigned in Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais, a state that has been a must-win for any presidential hopeful since the 1980s. His platform includes a tough crackdown on organised crime and cuts to taxes and public spending. He has also pledged to release his father, who is serving his sentence under house arrest because of ill health.

Rallies on both sides

In Barra da Tijuca, in Rio, where Jair Bolsonaro has a home, supporters dressed in the national colours gathered for the son. One told the BBC that Brazil "needs change". Another said she liked his promises to end violence and narco-trafficking and to reduce interest rates.

Lula's backers have organised large rallies since the first round, aiming to lift turnout after 33 million people did not vote earlier this month. On Saturday Lula told a crowd on Copacabana beach that the vote was a matter of "sovereignty", a choice between "the one who kissed the Brazilian flag and the one who kissed the American flag". His administration has accused the United States of interfering in the election, which Washington has called "baseless".

"They don't want to go backward."

Lula said that about voters, arguing that people want to move forward. His Workers' Party has framed the race as a "battle for democracy", pointing to Jair Bolsonaro's conviction as evidence that Bolsonarismo threatens democratic institutions. Bolsonaro, for his part, calls the Workers' Party corrupt and cites the financial scandals of past years. He says working with Washington against powerful criminal gangs would restore the state's authority in areas they control.

Lula plans to watch the results in São Paulo on Sunday evening. Bolsonaro is expected to be in Brasília, where his father is under house arrest.

Source: BBC News