Brazilians vote in tense presidential runoff between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro
Brazil held the second round of its presidential election on 25 October, pitting incumbent left-wing president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva against right-wing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party. The vote is seen as a pivotal moment for Latin America's largest democracy, with polarised camps mobilising supporters nationwide.
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Voters across Brazil went to the polls on Sunday to decide the country's next president in a runoff between Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the incumbent center-left leader of the Workers' Party, and Flávio Bolsonaro, the right-wing Liberal Party senator seeking to extend his family's political legacy. The contest has been one of the most closely watched elections in the region this year, reflecting deep divisions within Brazilian society over economic policy, social issues and the legacy of the Bolsonaro era. Turnout and logistics drew significant attention, with Brazil's Supreme Court reportedly extending voting hours in some areas amid the knife-edge race, according to wire reports circulating as polls closed. Both candidates have campaigned heavily on economic management and social welfare, issues that have historically defined Brazilian electoral contests. The outcome carries weight well beyond Brazil's borders, given the country's role as a regional economic powerhouse and a key voice in global climate and trade diplomacy. International observers and media have followed the vote closely, framing it as a test of the durability of Lula's coalition against a resurgent right that has rallied around the Bolsonaro name despite the former president's own legal troubles.
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