Brazil runoff set after Bolsonaro leads Lula in first round

Brazil’s presidential election is heading to a runoff between incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro after neither candidate won a majority in the first round. Bolsonaro, the son of jailed former president Jair Bolsonaro, led Lula in the count described in the supplied material. The second-round vote is scheduled for 25 October.

The contest has become a test of Brazil’s political direction as right-wing forces gain ground in Latin America. Bolsonaro has campaigned on tougher action against criminal organisations, closer dealings with the United States and the release of his father, who is serving a 27-year sentence for an attempted coup. Lula, 80, has defended his social programmes and presented the election as a choice between democratic government and what he called “barbarism”.

His supporters credit welfare initiatives, including Bolsa Família, with helping poorer Brazilians. Crime, the economy, corruption and national sovereignty were central campaign issues. Bolsonaro has faced allegations involving money requested from a jailed banker for a film about his father and denies wrongdoing.

Lula has also been affected by a corruption scandal involving figures linked to the Supreme Court. The supplied material says Brazil’s nearly 159 million eligible voters also elected governors, legislators and senators. A strong performance by right-wing parties in Congress could make governing difficult for Lula even if he wins the presidency.

The runoff will determine whether Brazil aligns more closely with the United States under Donald Trump or maintains Lula’s emphasis on relations with China. Bolsonaro has said he would pursue an economically pragmatic relationship with Beijing, which is Brazil’s largest trading partner.