Final Push in Brazil: Lula Marches Through Sao Paulo as Bolsonaro Rides a Motorcycle Caravan
On Saturday, October 3, the final day before Brazil's first-round presidential vote, the two frontrunners closed their campaigns in sharply different styles. Reuters reported that President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva ended his re-election campaign with a march through Sao Paulo, while Senator Flavio Bolsonaro joined a motorcycle caravan through Santa Barbara d'Oeste and Americana in Sao Paulo state before rallying later in Rio de Janeiro.
Lula's camp hailed the Sao Paulo event as a record turnout, larger than the closing rally of his 2022 campaign. Organizers said some 150,000 supporters filled the two-kilometre stretch of Augusta Street between Paulista Avenue and Roosevelt Square, a traditional stage for political demonstrations in Brazil's largest city. Speaking from a campaign vehicle, Lula framed Sunday's election as a choice between democracy and barbarism, and Workers' Party head Edinho Silva said the turnout reflected growing momentum for the incumbent.
Bolsonaro urged supporters to turn out and predicted a first-round victory. He was photographed holding a placard bearing the image of his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is under house arrest after being convicted of attempting to overturn the 2022 election result he lost to Lula.
Polls released the same day showed a razor-thin race: Datafolha's valid-vote simulation put Lula at 45 percent and Bolsonaro at 42 percent; Quaest had Lula at 46 percent and Bolsonaro at 45 percent; CNT/MDA gave Lula 47.8 percent against 42.1 percent. Under Brazil's rules, if no candidate wins more than 50 percent of valid votes, the top two advance to a runoff on October 25.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：圣保罗保利斯塔大道街景。摄影：Wilfredor，CC0，取自 Wikimedia Commons
