Lula, Bolsonaro in final push for votes ahead of knife-edge election in Brazil

Brazil's President and presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva waves next to (L to R) his candidate for Sao Paulo's governor, Fernando Haddad, Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin, and the Minister of the Environment Marina Silva during a campaign rally on the eve of the general election, in Sao Paulo, Brazil on October 3, 2026. Photo by LUIS ROBAYO /AFP via Getty Images

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Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Flavio Bolsonaro will make a final pitch to voters Saturday with rallies in the pivotal state of Sao Paulo ahead of a nail-biter election that has been marred by scandals and mudslinging.

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The 80-year-old veteran leftist is seeking a fourth and final term in office, warning voters that Brazil’s sovereignty is at stake in the face of pressure from US President Donald Trump.

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Lula is locked in a tight battle against right-wing senator Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, a close ally of Trump who is serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup after his failed 2022 re-election bid.

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Opinion polls show neither candidate is likely to win in the first-round election Sunday, and the two are in a statistical tie for an October 25 runoff.

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After criss-crossing the vast nation in recent weeks, the two men are making a final push for votes in the key southeastern battlegrounds of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

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Lula will hold his final rally in the megacity Sao Paulo, where supporters were decked out in the red of his Workers’ Party, wearing caps and T-shirts declaring: “Make Lula President Again” or “Brazil belongs to Brazilians.”

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Adriana Lima, 44, an early childhood educator clad all in red, told AFP that Lula was “the only president who cared about the people.”

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“We also have an issue with Trump wanting to treat Brazil like their backyard, so we absolutely cannot let that happen. It’s a very important election.”

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Another Lula supporter, accountant Tiago Lorureto, 35, said the election was “a choice between democracy and barbarism.”

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Never any money

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Flavio Bolsonaro was taking part in a motorcycle rally about 400km away in Sao Paulo state.

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If he wins the election, Brazil will join a growing number of Latin American nations that have swung to the right in recent months.

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His rallies have featured massive US flags and giant inflatable balloons of Trump, who has not endorsed the senator, but has said he is “very closely” watching the election.

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The younger Bolsonaro has run on a platform of hardline security policies and fiscal austerity, slamming Lula as “incompetent” and highlighting the high cost of living.

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Marcelo Peressim, 50, who owns a packaging company, came out to Flavio Bolsonaro’s rally with a portrait of the candidate’s father.

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“We work almost 24 hours a day to have a good life and provide a good life for our families… yet there’s never any money left over for us to do anything,” he said.

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Homemaker Eliane Boscolo, 47, said Trump would not need to take an interest in Brazil’s elections “if the country were doing well.”

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“We need things to improve here. If his intervention is necessary, I’m all for it,” she added.