Brazil Pits Welfare Record Against Crime and Spending Plans

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva addressed supporters at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, the final day of campaigning before Sunday's presidential runoff. The 80-year-old incumbent wore a red hat and waved a Brazilian flag from a campaign truck. Referring to his rival's ties to US President Donald Trump, Lula said: "The people must choose either someone who kisses the national flag or someone who kisses the American flag."

Lula, seeking a fourth non-consecutive term, is running against Flavio Bolsonaro, a senator and the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro. The elder Bolsonaro served as president from 2019 to 2022 and is now serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup after losing the 2022 election to Lula. The vote will determine whether Brazil continues under Lula or joins a regional shift toward the right.

Flavio Bolsonaro took 47 percent in the first round, against 45 percent for Lula. A CNT/MDA poll released Saturday showed Bolsonaro at 46.3 percent and Lula at 45 percent, a margin of 2.2 percentage points. A week earlier, the same poll had the race at 46.8 percent to 45.9 percent.

Bolsonaro's supporters gathered in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais, where hundreds of motorcyclists wore Brazil's yellow national football shirts. Ebert Dorigo, one participant, told AFP that the Workers' Party had fostered dependence on government welfare and that the country needs a change of direction. "The values we uphold are nation and family," Dorigo said.

Bolsonaro has pledged to add hundreds of thousands of prison places and cut government spending. The two candidates traded accusations over economic policy during Friday's final debate. Voter sentiment remains split: Gabriela Ribeiro Viana, an event organiser, told AFP she saw the choice as between "the worst, the horrible, and the lesser evil."