Brazil: Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro neck and neck for the presidential election

It floats in Brazil like a scent of déjà vu. Four years after the duel between Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Jair Bolsonaro, the country's two dominant political forces are replaying the match: one represented by its lifelong hero, the left-wing president who is seeking a fourth term, and the other by the son of the former far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro. Senator from Rio de Janeiro, Flavio Bolsonaro replaces his father on the ballot, the latter being unable to compete because he was sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempted coup d'état. On the eve of the first round of the presidential election, the two men are neck and neck in the polls, making a second round likely on October 25.

This Sunday, Brazilians will also vote for their future deputies and governors, as well as for some of the senators. But a single vote monopolizes the conversations. For those who were hoping for a third way, it was a failure. Despite the twelve candidates, only Lula…