Brazil Heads To Run-Off As Bolsonaro Pulls Off Shock 1st Place Before Lula
Brazil's presidential election is heading to a run-off after Flavio Bolsonaro secured a surprise lead over incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The results represent a significant shift in the political landscape, with right-wing candidates also seeing success in parliamentary races.
Why it matters
The outcome of this election will determine the political trajectory of Latin America's largest economy and its alignment with global right-wing movements.
Right-wing senator Flavio Bolsonaro pulled off a surprise first-place finish ahead of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Sunday's election, which heads to a run-off in three weeks as neither clinched a majority.In a result that defied opinion poll projections showing Lula in the lead, Flavio Bolsonaro scored 47 per cent of the vote to the incumbent's 45 per cent.If Bolsonaro triumphs in the October 25 election, the Latin American powerhouse will join a steady rightward march in the region in recent elections, a trend championed by US President Donald Trump.The election results included a series of landslide wins for the right in parliament in a massive setback to Lula, who at almost 81 is seeking a fourth term in office to cement his legacy."I admit I was convinced I would win in the first round. The game is about to start.
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