With only a few days remaining before Brazil’s presidential election runoff, Lula da Silva addressed his supporters on Avenida Paulista, São Paulo’s iconic avenue. Lula asked the crowd to persuade voters who did not go to the polls in the first round.
Pointing out that more than 30 million voters did not cast ballots in the first round, Lula da Silva stressed the need to reach these people, particularly older citizens. Lula urged older voters to go to the polls on October 25 for the sake of their children, grandchildren, country and future.
Thousands of people attended the gathering, organized under the name “March for Democracy” and decorated in the red colors of the Workers’ Party (PT). Saying that the vote placed a historic responsibility on the country’s future, Lula said Brazil must not once again be left in the hands of thieves.
The Brazilian president argued that the choice on October 25 went beyond a contest between two candidates and that voters would decide between democracy and authoritarianism. He said the people deserved a future based on justice and equality, rather than a return to the past.
Two sisters in their 60s who attended the rally said they did not receive government assistance but were in the square to defend the rights of citizens who depended on such support. The crowd also chanted slogans against the United States, emphasizing that Brazil belonged to them.
Rival Flávio Bolsonaro meets with mayors
Lula’s rival, Flávio Bolsonaro, the candidate of the right-wing camp, also gathered mayors from his own party in São Paulo as part of preparations for the runoff. Flávio, the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, finished first in the October 4 first round.
With 99.8 percent of the ballots counted, Flávio Bolsonaro’s vote share stood at 47 percent, while Lula da Silva’s was recorded at 45.1 percent. In the country, where approximately 159 million voters are registered, Bolsonaro received 56.1 million votes and Lula received 53.8 million.
