Voters in Brazil to choose between Lula and Bolsonaro's son

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Voters in Brazil to choose between Lula and Bolsonaro's son Figure caption, Watch: Who are the candidates in Brazil's presidential election? By Ione Wells, Reporting fromRio de Janeiro and Patrick JacksonPublished1 hour agoBrazilians go to the polls on Sunday to elect their new president in a closely fought run-off election. The choice is between the 80-year-old incumbent, left-winger Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is seeking a fourth non-consecutive term in office, and right-wing senator Flávio Bolsonaro, 45.

Bolsonaro is the son of former right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup after losing the last election in 2022. This is Bolsonaro's election to lose after he came top in the first round of voting on 4 October, which US President Donald Trump called a "very big" victory. Image source, Paulo Kobayashi/BBCImage caption, Bolsonaro supporters rallied in Rio on the eve of the electionNever before has a candidate who trailed after the first round managed to overturn the deficit and win in the second round.

The Details

Bolsonaro's supporters were jubilant at his final campaign rallies, confident that he would bring change to Brazil through his promised tough crackdown on organised crime, as well as tax and public spending cuts. He campaigned on the eve of polls in Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais, which has been a must-win state for any presidential hopeful since the 1980s. "The time is almost here," Bolsonaro told supporters in a social media video.

"There are only a few hours left before we shape the future of our nation for the next 30 or 40 years. " He has also pledged to release his father, who is currently serving his sentence under house arrest due to ill health. In Barra de Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, where Jair Bolsonaro has a home, Bolsonaro supporters rallied in support of him dressed in the national colours.

"Brazil needs change, and Flávio is the person that represents that today, after so many years of the Left destroying the economy and the country," one told News. Another said that what she most liked about Flávio Bolsonaro was his promise to "end violence in Brazil, end terrorism, narco-trafficking, and to reduce interest rates". Image source, Paulo Kobayashi/BBCImage caption, Lula supporters also turned out in RioSince Bolsonaro's first-round victory, supporters of Lula have arranged huge rallies in support of him to try to boost turnout after 33 million people did not cast a vote earlier this month.

On Saturday, Lula told a huge crowd on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach that this election was a matter of "sovereignty" and people would choose between the one who kissed the Brazilian flag or the American flag. Lula's administration has accused the US of interfering in Brazil's election, an allegation Washington has called "baseless". "We're going to win the election for one simple reason: it's true that the people want change they want to move forward," he said.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.