Electoral Race in Brazil: The Fight Between Lula and Bolsonaro Intensifies

As Brazil, Latin America's largest economy, prepares to go to the polls on Sunday, the race between leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and far-right senator Flavio Bolsonaro is heating up with mutual accusations and allegations of corruption.

The campaign in the country, which is considered one of the last strongholds of the left in the region, has made the deep political division faced by 160 million registered voters even more evident.

Election surveys show that no candidate will gain an absolute majority in the first round, in which a total of 13 candidates participated, and the race will be moved to the second round on October 25.

According to the Reuters agency, the survey conducted by the Datafolha research institution with 2,506 people between September 29 and October 1 indicates that Lula will receive 42 percent of the votes in the first round and Flavio Bolsonaro will receive 38 percent.

In the same survey, other candidates, Augusto Cury, recorded 4 percent, Ronaldo Caiado, 3 percent, and Renan Santos, 3 percent. In a possible second round scenario, Lula reaches 48 percent support and Bolsonaro reaches 45 percent support.

The poll's margin of error of two percentage points suggests that the two candidates remain technically equal.

The research published by Atlas company also points to a similar balance, calculating the second round support as 47.7 percent for Flavio Bolsonaro and 47.6 percent for Lula.

While the election atmosphere focuses on the shrinking undecided voter base, Quaest research company reports that the rate of those who have not yet determined their choice has decreased to 5 percent.

In his assessment of the last turn, Institution Director Felipe Nunes said, "The race is neck and neck, but it is not static; the last week will determine which direction the voters who are still undecided will shift."

The refusal of both leaders to participate in the television debate planned for Thursday evening drew the reaction of large masses who were dissatisfied with the options.

Speaking to the AFP agency, 32-year-old Marcelo Vilanova, who runs a fish market in the city of Juiz de Fora, pointed to social assistance programs and said, "Lula has done good things for me and my family, but I also criticize him; I will vote for him because he is the lesser of two evils."

Lucas Sales, a 38-year-old phone shop owner in the same city, stated that he would choose Bolsonaro because of his promises to fight crime and said, "Even if he is not the best choice, his promise is important." Clothing store worker Gisele Sousa, 45, expressed her reaction by saying, "The process has completely turned into a circus, I will not vote for any of them."

The competition among candidates trying to convince the undecided is also involving cultural and religious symbols.

Following rumors that Flavio Bolsonaro would remove the official position of Our Lady of Aparecida, depicting the Black Virgin, who is seen as the patron saint of the country, if he is elected president, Lula organized rallies with a copy of the statue.

Lula argued that touching a sacred value was "unacceptable".

With its decision on Thursday, the Supreme Electoral Court ruled that the posts containing these allegations should be deleted on the grounds that they do not reflect the truth.

Demographically, Lula draws the support of predominantly Catholic voters, while Bolsonaro leans on the expanding Evangelicals.

Discussions continued with personal polemics. Lula's words, while criticizing men's avoidance of prostate examinations and claiming that women have become accustomed to gynecological checks from a young age, were spread on social media as an allusion to abuse. Flavio Bolsonaro accused his rival of sexism.

Lula, on the other hand, stated in an online broadcast that he was confident that he would win in the first round and said that his opponent "does not even have the qualifications to be an apartment manager."

Flavio Bolsonaro claimed that Lula would be removed from the presidency on Sunday.

Lula, the 80-year-old former union leader who is running for his fourth term in office, maintains that he is ready for office despite his advanced age.

While inflation and unemployment decreased during his period, the destruction in the Amazon rainforest was largely stopped.

On the other hand, voters complain about the high cost of living, household debt and the growing influence of organized crime syndicates.

As the race narrowed, Lula increased cash transfers to low-income earners, announced debt restructuring steps and banned online sports betting, which was dragging many families into bankruptcy.

Rodrigo Russo, partner of risk consultancy firm Control Risks, states that Lula recognized the danger early and activated government resources.

Lula, who met with business people last week, conveyed his goal with the words "I don't want to marry you, I just want one vote."

According to AFP, Workers' Party Chairman Edinho Silva stated that Lula is the only political force that will continue the reforms in the country.

Judicial files extending to the candidates' close circle also affect the course of the campaign.

While Lula is dealing with a federal police investigation against his son Fabio Luis Lula da Silva on charges of influence peddling, Flavio Bolsonaro remains at the center of investigations carried out over the bankrupt Banco Master.

The relations between former bank executive Daniel Vorcaro, who was arrested on multibillion-dollar corruption charges, and senior politicians and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes are causing public outrage.

Senator Bolsonaro admitted that he contacted the imprisoned banker to finance the "Dark Horse" biopic about his father, Jair Bolsonaro, and an investigation was launched against him on suspicion of money laundering.