More than one million Lula supporters rally in Rio before Brazil’s runoff

More than one million supporters of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva rallied at Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach before the country’s presidential runoff. City Hall estimated the crowd at about 1.1 million.

Nearly 159 million Brazilians will vote on Sunday. Flávio Bolsonaro won the first round on 4 October with 47% of the vote, against Lula’s 45%; polls indicate a close contest.

Lula supporters mobilize

Many marchers wore red and described the rally as an effort to help Lula make an unprecedented comeback: since Brazil’s return to democracy, no first-round loser has won the final vote. The 80-year-old Lula is seeking a fourth non-consecutive presidential term.

Some activists belong to “Lula’s Army”, a WhatsApp group created after the first round that the report says has 10 million members. Lula also attended a rally on Paulista Avenue in São Paulo.

Bolsonaro’s position before the vote

Analysts cited in the report see Flávio Bolsonaro as a slight favourite. He has presented himself as a candidate who would tackle Brazil’s high levels of violent crime with tough measures; his father, Jair Bolsonaro, was president from 2019 to 2022.

The report says Lula has regained ground in recent days amid scandals involving his rival. Brazilian magazine Piauí reported that Flávio Bolsonaro attended a boat party during the height of the 2020 coronavirus outbreak, involving sex workers and vaccine lobbyists seeking an agreement with his father’s government.

Bolsonaro supporters rally too

Bolsonaro supporters also demonstrated, including in Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais. Bolsonaro led Lula there by just under 5% in the first round; no presidential candidate has won Brazil without carrying the state.

Participants backed tougher action against crime and the right to own firearms. The report says Jair Bolsonaro relaxed gun-ownership rules, while Lula tightened them again after taking office.