Right-wing candidate Flávio Bolsonaro finished ahead in the first round of the presidential election in Brazil. Current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva remained in second place. Since no candidate could get over 50 percent, the election went to the second round on October 25.
After almost all the votes were counted, Flávio Bolsonaro received 47.03 percent of the votes and Lula received 45.16 percent. Although Lula was narrowly ahead in the polls during the campaign, Bolsonaro's performance in the first round exceeded expectations.
The preferences of voters of some right-wing candidates who were eliminated in the first round will be one of the decisive issues in terms of the outcome of the race.
Flávio Bolsonaro's Liberal Party (PL) became the party with the most governors, senators and federal deputies, according to the announced results. This picture shows that PL will be one of the most influential political forces in the Congress in the coming period.
The election in Brazil is being closely watched not only in terms of domestic politics but also in terms of political balances in Latin America. While right-wing governments have recently come to power in many countries in the region, the second round in Brazil is expected to affect the country's foreign policy orientation.
LULA: "THE RACE IS NOT OVER"
Making a statement after casting his vote, 80-year-old Lula said that the election was a choice between democracy and "barbarism".
Stating that the first round result was unexpected for him, Lula emphasized that he would not quit the race.
Lula said, "I believed that I would win in the first round. The game starts now. We are in extra time. We will win the Brazilian people in extra time."
45-year-old Flávio Bolsonaro expressed his satisfaction with finishing the first round ahead and spoke assertively about the second round.
According to AFP, Bolsonaro said, "I am very happy about the possibility that in three weeks Brazil will give a definitive answer by choosing a modern government."
HE INHERENT HIS FATHER'S POLITICAL INHERITANCE
Flávio Bolsonaro is the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years in prison for planning the coup attempt to invalidate the election results after losing the 2022 elections to Lula. He had previously been barred from running again.
Thereupon, Bolsonaro supported his son Fávio Bolsonaro for the presidency. Jair Bolsonaro's wife, Michelle Bolsonaro, also entered the Senate in the same election.
Flávio Bolsonaro announced that if he is elected, he will grant amnesty to his father and Bolsonaro supporters who raided public buildings on January 8, 2023.
The Lula and Bolsonaro families represent the two most powerful political forces on the left and right wings of Brazilian politics.
Debates on sovereignty, economy, crime, security and corruption came to the fore during the election campaign. The divide between voter profiles has also become evident.
Lula; In poorer northeastern parts of the country, it has higher support among low-income voters, women and Catholics.
Flávio Bolsonaro has stronger support in the south of the country, among higher-income voters and evangelical Christians.
LULA WANTS HER FOURTH TERM
Lula was elected president in 2002 and 2006, and then took office again in 2022.
Lula, who defeated Jair Bolsonaro by less than 2 percent in the 2022 elections, is running to be elected president for the fourth time.
The election result in 2022 was one of the closest presidential races in Brazilian history. Bolsonaro supporters raided the Congress, the Supreme Court and the Presidential Palace in Brasília on January 8, 2023, after the election.
The President of Brazil's Supreme Electoral Court announced that there was no evidence of international interference in the elections.
Lula, on the other hand, highlighted the "sovereignty" rhetoric throughout the campaign and occasionally accused the United States of trying to intervene in Brazilian politics. The Washington administration rejected these allegations.
Flávio Bolsonaro, on the other hand, advocates closer relations with the USA.
Bolsonaro has previously taken initiatives before the US administration, supporting the designation of Brazil's two largest criminal organizations as terrorist organizations.
US President Donald Trump's tariffs on Brazil and sanctions on some officials due to Jair Bolsonaro's coup attempt case also caused tension in the relations between the two countries.
CORRUPTION SCANDAL AFFECTED THE CAMPAIGN
One of the prominent topics of the election was corruption.
The major financial fraud scandal involving banker Daniel Vorcaro was on the agenda of the campaign due to its connections to different political circles.
In the audio recordings that emerged, it was heard that Flávio Bolsonaro asked Vorcaro for 134 million reais for the biography film planned to be shot about his father. Bolsonaro accepted this meeting.
The scandal also indirectly affected the Lula front. Police claimed that Vorcaro was trying to reach Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes to avoid arrest. Moraes denied any allegations of wrongdoing.
Crime and security were also among the most important topics of the election campaign.
Although there has been a decrease in murder rates in Brazil, there has been an increase in street crimes that are felt in daily life, such as phone theft. Drug trafficking and organized crime groups were also among the important concerns of the public.
Flávio Bolsonaro has vowed to declare criminal organizations "terrorist organizations" and establish high-security prisons similar to those in El Salvador.
Lula, on the other hand, pursued policies such as regulations targeting the financial networks of organized crime, strengthening murder investigations and investing in prisons.
ECONOMY IS ONE OF THE TITLES THAT DIFFERENTIATE THE TWO CANDIDATES
High individual indebtedness and slowing economic growth in Brazil were also at the center of the election campaign.
Lula highlights social welfare programs as a key element of his political legacy. Particularly within the scope of the Bolsa Família program, financial support is provided to low-income families on the condition that their children continue their education and health services.
Lula also increased the number of universities during his terms in office. These policies are considered to have contributed to millions of Brazilians rising out of poverty.
Flávio Bolsonaro, on the other hand, advocates imposing a ceiling on public debt, reducing public expenditures, reviewing the social assistance system and expanding the critical minerals sector.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES ARE ALSO A SUBJECT OF DISTRIBUTION
Although Lula supports oil exploration projects that attract the reaction of environmentalists, he stands out with his environmental policies aimed at reducing deforestation in the Amazon.
During the Jair Bolsonaro period, there was a significant increase in the rate of deforestation in the Amazon.
Voters in Brazil will now go to the polls once again between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro in the second round on October 25.
