Brazil's Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro dead heat on eve of runoff

· Politics · Brazil

Brazil holds its presidential runoff on Sunday with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro statistically tied in polling on the eve of the vote. Bolsonaro finished ahead in the first round and is still favored by some surveys. More than one million Lula supporters rallied on Rio's most famous beach, while both candidates held final rallies and clashed over living costs and graft in a last debate. Nearly 159 million people are eligible to vote. The result will decide whether Brazilians stick with the left-wing incumbent or shift right. US State Department officials reportedly pushed sanctions to tilt the race toward the Bolsonaro clan.

Why it matters：A Bolsonaro win would mark a sharp rightward shift in Latin America's largest economy and test US interference allegations in a major democracy's election.

Key points

  • Nearly 159 million voters are eligible in Sunday's runoff.
  • More than one million Lula supporters rallied in Rio.
  • US officials reportedly pushed sanctions favoring the Bolsonaro clan.

Sources (original reporting)

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