Brazil’s Lula, Bolsonaro draw thousands to election-eve rallies

What the report says

Brazil’s presidential race entered its final stretch with rival rallies drawing large crowds as Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Flavio Bolsonaro made one last push before the runoff, according to Al Jazeera. The vote, held on Sunday after campaigning ended on Saturday, will decide whether Brazilians keep their left-wing incumbent leader or move toward the right.

Al Jazeera reported that Lula, wearing red and speaking at Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach, addressed supporters from a campaign truck and framed the contest as a choice about national identity and Brazil’s direction. He is seeking a fourth, non-consecutive term. Bolsonaro, a senator and the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, also held events with supporters, including a gathering in Minas Gerais that drew motorcyclists and backers in Brazil’s national colors.

The campaign has centered on economic policy, crime and the country’s political future. Recent polling cited by Al Jazeera showed the two candidates nearly tied, with Bolsonaro holding a slight edge within the margin of error. The report also noted that Bolsonaro’s father is serving a prison sentence for attempting a coup after losing the 2022 election to Lula.

The narrow race underscores Brazil’s polarized politics and the uncertainty over the direction of Latin America’s largest democracy, with both camps making competing appeals to voters over welfare, public spending and public security.