1.1 Million Lula Supporters Flood Copacabana as Brazil Heads to Runoff
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Oct 24
1.1 Million Lula Supporters Flood Copacabana as Brazil Heads to Runoff
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Oct 24
Summary
Rio City Hall estimated 1.1 million people packed Copacabana beach on Saturday in a last major push to help Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva overturn his first-round loss in Sunday’s presidential runoff.
159 million Brazilians are eligible to vote, and polls show Lula and far-right rival Flávio Bolsonaro essentially tied after Bolsonaro led the 4 October first round 47% to 45%.
The rally capped two weeks of pro-Lula street mobilization, including a 10 million-member WhatsApp network, as supporters framed the vote as a defense of democracy against the Bolsonaro family.
Lula’s camp has gained momentum after scandals hit Flávio Bolsonaro, but analysts still see him as a slight favorite, helped by a tough-on-crime message and strength in bellwether Minas Gerais.
A Lula comeback would be historically unusual: no first-round loser has recovered to win Brazil’s presidency since democracy returned in the 1980s.