Senator Flavio Bolsonaro led President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva by about 47 percent to 45 percent in the first round and will meet him again on 25 October.
Right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro will face President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a presidential runoff on 25 October after leading the first round, Reuters reported from Brasilia, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. With nearly all tallies in, Bolsonaro had about 47 percent to Lula's 45 percent.
Private surveys before the vote had forecast Lula ahead by about three points. Bolsonaro told reporters in Brasilia that Brazil wanted change and spoke of an end to the Workers' Party era. Lula, speaking to a crowd in Sao Paulo, said he had expected to win in the first round.
Bolsonaro is the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election, Reuters and the BBC reported. Crime, the economy and a corruption scandal dominated the campaign, Reuters said.
The BBC reported that US President Donald Trump, speaking at the White House, called the first round a very big victory for Bolsonaro while saying he expected the contest to be close. Lula, 80, warned after voting that the choice was between democracy and what he called barbarism.
A Reuters markets note on Tuesday said Brazilian stocks, bonds and the real rose sharply on Monday after the first-round result, with the Bovespa recording its biggest daily gain since 2020. The runoff remains scheduled for 25 October.
People Sentiments Mixed
- Flavio Bolsonaro said Brazil wants change.
- Lula said he had been convinced he would win in the first round.
- Trump called the first-round result a very big victory for Bolsonaro while expecting a close race.