President Lula and Senator Bolsonaro hold final rallies — Euronews
In Brazil, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and right-wing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro held their final rallies ahead of the second round of the presidential election. The candidates met with supporters in major cities, including Rio de Janeiro, wrapping up a tense three-week election campaign.
As Euronews reports, Bolsonaro won 47% of the vote in the first round, while Lula received 45%. About 20% of voters did not take part in the first vote, and polls show almost equal levels of support for both candidates.
Final televised debate
On the eve of the rallies, Lula and Bolsonaro took part in the final televised debate. According to the outlet, the discussion was calmer than their first meeting, which descended into mutual insults and included almost no discussion of policy.
Lula said that his opponent does not know what hunger is. Bolsonaro responded by asking the incumbent president why the country is so expensive. The senator also promised to intensify the fight against crime, create another 500,000 prison places, and cut government spending.
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Amazon and relations with the United States
The election could affect Brazil's climate policy. During Jair Bolsonaro's presidency, deforestation in the Amazon reached a record level, while under Lula's government the number of new clearings has declined in recent years following strengthened satellite monitoring and law enforcement efforts. Flávio Bolsonaro denied the anthropogenic nature of climate change and said he intended to counter illegal deforestation.
The senator's campaign was also overshadowed by a case involving banker Daniel Vorcaro. Bolsonaro acknowledged that he accepted millions of dollars from him to make a film about the life of his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro. According to Euronews, the senator is under investigation over suspicions of corruption, money laundering, and tax evasion.
Lula has repeatedly warned the United States against interfering in Brazilian elections and made defending the country's sovereignty one of the themes of his campaign.
