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Brazil: the polls have opened, Bolsonaro believes in his victory, Lula is "confident"

2022-10-30T13:58:26.752Z


152 million voters are called to the polls to decide between the finalists. Lula seems favorite but the result could be very tight


The moment of truth is approaching.

Brazilians began voting this Sunday for the second round of a presidential election with a very uncertain outcome between the left-wing ex-head of state Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and the outgoing far-right president Jair Bolsonaro.

Whatever the outcome of the polls, this election Sunday puts an end to a brutal and polarized campaign during which the outgoing president and his predecessor copiously insulted each other, against a backdrop of fake news repeatedly relayed.

"Thief", "ex-prisoner", "alcoholic" or "national disgrace", accused Bolsonaro, speaking of Lula.

“Pedophile”, “cannibal”, “genocidal” or “little dictator”, retorted the former metalworker.

Open since 8 a.m. (noon, French time), the polling stations will close at 5 p.m. (9 p.m. in Paris).

One of the first voters to vote in Copacabana, a tourist district of Rio, Marcio Britto, a 52-year-old unemployed, hopes that this election "will make it possible to improve the situation of the Brazilian people a little", especially "health, education and security,” he told AFP.

The polls have narrowed considerably in recent days.

According to the latest Datafolha survey on Saturday evening, the gap narrowed, with Lula winning 52%/48%.

The margin of error is +/- 2 points and the polls had heavily underestimated Bolsonaro's score in the 1st round.

More than 6 million votes ahead in the first round for Lula

Jair Bolsonaro went very early to his polling station in Rio.

“God willing we will win tonight.

Or better yet, Brazil will be victorious tonight,” exclaimed the far-right president, wearing a yellow and green t-shirt in the colors of the Brazilian flag beloved by Bolsonarians.

Outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro showed confidence in voting as soon as his polling station opened on Sunday.

AFP/Pool/Bruna Prado

Voting shortly after, Lula said his "confidence in a victory for democracy".

The latter finished first in the first round on October 2, with a 5-point lead, or more than 6 million votes.

But Bolsonaro was ahead in crucial southeastern states such as São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

The 156 million voters aged 18 to 70 are in principle obliged to vote, but 32 million abstained.

The campaign between the two towers has striven to convince these refractories.

Read alsoPresidential in Brazil: an ex-elected member of Lula's party assassinated two days before the second round

Will Bolsonaro accept the result if he is the first president running for a second term not to be re-elected since the return to democracy in 1985?

After launching relentless attacks on the “fraudulent” system of electronic ballot boxes, he said on Friday: “Whoever has the most votes wins.

This is democracy”.

Many observers fear a Brazilian aftershock of the storming of the Capitol, in the United States, after the defeat of Donald Trump.

Bolsonarists could target the Supreme Court so often reviled by Bolsonaro.

As a matter of fact, Trump called on Brazilians to re-elect Bolsonaro, "a great guy", and especially not "Lulu (sic), this crackpot from the radical left".

Source: leparis

All news articles on 2022-10-30

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