Bolsonaro, Lula set for Brazil presidential election runoff
SEN. Flávio Bolsonaro, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, and Brazil’s incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will face off in a runoff October 25 for the top job of Latin America’s powerhouse economy after neither won a majority in Sunday’s vote.
The country’s electoral court in Brasilia said neither the 80-year-old incumbent, seeking his fourth non-consecutive term, nor the 45-year-old son of former President Jair Bolsonaro would garner the majority vote needed for an outright win.
The court had Bolsonaro with just over 56 million votes to Lula’s 53.7 million, with 99.8 per cent of the vote reported. The next presidential term is set to begin January 5.
The winner will be in charge of Latin America’s biggest economy and a population of 214 million.
A win for Bolsonaro would increase U.S. influence in Latin America. If Lula wins, Brazil will keep its distance from Washington and continue to deepen its relationship with China.
Flávio Bolsonaro addressed the press and a small group of supporters, including some wearing green and yellow Brazil jerseys and one woman wrapped in the Israeli flag, outside his Brasilia house.
“Brazil wants change, that’s the reading of what happened today,” Bolsonaro said. “It’s the end of the Workers’ Party era,” he added, in a reference to Lula’s party.
Lula, seeking to be encouraging ahead of an uphill battle to beat Bolsonaro in the runoff, said the result was “unexpected” as he had thought he could win in the first round. —AP
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