Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, 80, opened his campaign on Sunday for a fourth term before a crowd at Vila Euclides stadium in São Bernardo do Campo, the industrial heartland of São Paulo where he emerged as a political leader half a century ago. "As long as I am alive, I will not allow the right, responsible for 400,000 deaths from covid due to irresponsibility, to return to power," declared the leader of the Workers' Party.
His main rival, senator Flávio Bolsonaro, 45, son of imprisoned former president Jair Bolsonaro, launched his campaign the same day on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. According to O Globo, Bolsonaro criticised the Lula government for focusing on external affairs while ignoring domestic problems such as crime. Analysts expect a tight contest between both candidates, who began the race in a technical tie.
The latest poll commissioned by the Globo group, released on Friday, gave Lula 43% support in a potential runoff against 40% for Flávio Bolsonaro. The president has led the polls since the beginning, but closely followed by Bolsonaro, while other candidates remain below 10%. Both candidates face high rejection levels, with 54% for Bolsonaro and 52% for Lula.
Brazilians will vote on 4 October to elect a president, governors, renew the Chamber of Deputies and two-thirds of the Senate. If no presidential or gubernatorial candidate reaches 50% in the first round, a second vote will be held on 25 October. Analysts noted that the result will be decided by a small group of undecided voters, mainly middle-class women with intermediate education.