Lula and Bolsonaro mobilized thousands of supporters ahead of the election
Brazil’s two presidential elections are now over. The first round, this Sunday, could lead to a clash if the leftist candidate wins.
Luis Inacio Lula da Silva during his final meeting in Sao Paulo this Saturday, October 1.
AFP
Brazil’s two presidential favorites, far-right head of state Jair Bolsonaro and leftist former president Lula, drew thousands of supporters to the streets of Sao Paulo for their final rallies ahead of Sunday’s vote.
Bolsonaro, 67, wearing a black jacket and no helmet, led a motorcade to Ibrapuera Park, a green lung of Sao Paulo (southeast), where thousands of people awaited him. Along the way, his fans in yellow and green waved Brazilian flags and chanted, “Lula, thief, your place is in prison!” They chanted. As per the Election Act, the President congratulated them without making any speech.
“Four years is too short to fix everything that went wrong in previous governments, so he needs four more. Bolsonaro is the best president of all time,” said Isabel de Morais, a 54-year-old businesswoman who came to applaud her champion. “We will win the first round with 64% of the vote.” It was launched by the president’s step-son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, who continues to say the polls are “false”.
“Jair, it’s time to go!”
About 5km away, almost at the same time, thousands of people marched in red down Paulista Avenue, the symbolic artery of Brazil’s economic capital, for a “victory parade” organized for Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (2003-2010). He waved to the crowd from the back of an open truck.
“Brazil, hurry, Lula is president!” and “Jair, time to go!” Demonstrators chanted at a rally for the left-wing candidate, who hopes to win the presidency in the first round. “I hope it will happen,” Ulli Kotler, 29, told AFP. “Balance sheet of the Bolsonaro government? A real tragedy.”
“Lula must come back to put an end to what is happening in the country. We have been fighting for a long time for a more honest, fraternal society and Bolsonaro has destroyed everything,” said Anderson Momeso, 52, who came to support the Workers’ Party (PT) candidate wearing a red soccer ball. The shirt is the color of Lula’s political family.
fake news
Election campaigning on radio and television has ended, but rallies and leaflet distribution have been authorized until Saturday evening. The campaign was held under very special circumstances for security reasons: candidates wore bulletproof vests and security barriers were put up to prevent crowds from getting too close to the stage during rallies.
Misinformation was spread on the networks on Saturday, saying that wearing the jersey of the Brazilian national team, popular among Bolsonaros, was banned from voting. These last hours of the campaign will be “very tense, everyone will be looking at small details that could tip the balance one way or another,” Jairo Nicolau, a political scientist at the Getlio Vargas Foundation, told AFP.
Despite these tensions, Saturday’s rallies passed without incident. As of Saturday evening, the latest survey by benchmark institute Datafolha showed Lula 14 points ahead of voting intentions (34% vs. 48%) and 36% vs. 50% of valid votes.
Fear of “problem”.
But if the leftist candidate wins on Sunday, the transfer of power will be difficult with long weeks before the January 1 investiture. Lula admitted at a press conference on Friday that he feared “trouble” during the transition. Jair Bolsonaro has given several indications that he will not be able to recognize the results in the event of a defeat, citing in particular the risk of “fraud” without providing evidence.
Last week, he said it would be “extraordinary” if the head of state did not get at least 60% of the vote in the first round. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has thrown his support behind Jair Bolsonaro. “I have met many leaders, but few are as exceptional as your President Bolsonaro,” Orban said in a video posted Saturday morning on the Brazilian president’s Twitter account.
“Let us all vote in peace, security and harmony, with respect, freedom, conscience and responsibility. Join all Brazilians in the great celebration of democracy,” asked Alexandre de Moraes, president of the High Electoral Court, on his Twitter account.
AFP
Did you find an error?Please let us know.
“Avid gamer. Social media geek. Proud troublemaker. Thinker. Travel fan. Problem solver.”