Bolsonaro advances to Brazil runoff as thousands protest

Summarised from 3 outlets · 5 reports · Updated 8 Oct, 05:37 · Archive

Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, son of jailed former president Jair Bolsonaro, led Brazil's first-round presidential vote and will face incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in an October 25 runoff.

Flavio Bolsonaro, a 45-year-old senator and son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, received the most votes in Brazil's first-round presidential election on Sunday with 47 per cent support. Incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva secured 45 per cent. Because neither candidate surpassed 50 per cent, they will compete in a runoff on October 25.

On Monday, two right-wing politicians who ran in the first round, Ronaldo Caiado and Romeu Zema, endorsed Flavio Bolsonaro for the runoff. Anthony Pereira, Executive Director of the Stone Center for Latin American Studies at Tulane University, told France 24 that Flavio Bolsonaro 'will probably benefit from the voters who voted for other right-wing candidates and who will simply migrate to him, so it looks a lot easier for Flavio to win the second round than it does for Lula'. Pereira added that 'Lula's path to victory lies in mobilising voters who didn't vote in the first round'.

Thousands of students and other protesters marched in downtown Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday against Flavio Bolsonaro, carrying signs reading 'Never again Bolsonaro', 'No to the father, no to the son' and 'Dictatorship never again'. Alice Carneiro, a 25-year-old maritime shipping administrator, said: 'I'm here because I believe in democracy. Because I'm scared.' She expressed fears of discrimination against her transgender wife under a far-right government.

DW News reported that some marchers voiced concerns about Bolsonaro's ideological alignment with United States President Donald Trump, with one 20-year-old literature student saying 'If Bolsonaro wins, Brazil will become a colony of the United States'. Jair Bolsonaro, who served as president from 2019 to 2022, was convicted and is serving a 27-year sentence after being convicted of plotting to overturn his 2022 election defeat, according to Al Jazeera. He has been barred from holding office for eight years following a court ruling related to unfounded claims he made about Brazil's election system.

The march was notably larger and more energetic than Lula's rally at the same location on Friday before the first-round vote, which many had criticised as lacking momentum.

How it is being reported

• Brazil: Thousands of students march against BolsonaroAfter Flavio Bolsonaro came out on top in the first round of Brazil's presidential election, thousands of people joined student-led protests against the far-right in Rio de Janeiro.DW News · 8 Oct, 01:50
• ‘No to the father, no to the son’: Thousands march in Rio against BolsonaroStudents and other protesters marched against Flavio Bolsonaro after he advanced to Brazil's presidential run-off.Al Jazeera · 7 Oct, 23:14
• Thousands protest Flavio Bolsonaro, fearing far-right return in BrazilThousands of people joined a student march in downtown Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday to protest against Flavio Bolsonaro ahead of Brazil's October 25 presidential runoff. Bolsonaro led Sunday's first-round vote, prompting demonstrators to rally behind incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and oppose the far right's return to power.France 24 · 7 Oct, 23:01
• Brazil 'has moved to the right progressively over the last two decades', expert saysSenator Flavio Bolsonaro received on Monday endorsements from Ronaldo Caiado and Romeu Zema, two right-wing politicians who ran against him in Sunday's first-round vote, for the runoff against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva later this month. Speaking with FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney, Anthony Pereira, Executive Director of the Stone Center for Latin American Studies at Tulane University, says that "Lula's path to victory lies in mobilising voters who didn't vote in the first round" while Flavio Bolsonaro "will probably benefit from the voters who voted for other right-wing candidates and…France 24 · 6 Oct, 18:05
• Brazil 'has moved to the right progressively over the last two decades', expert saysSenator Flavio Bolsonaro received on Monday endorsements from Ronaldo Caiado and Romeu Zema, two right-wing politicians who ran against him in Sunday's first-round vote, for the runoff against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva later this month. Speaking with FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney, Anthony Pereira, Executive Director of the Stone Center for Latin American Studies at Tulane University, says that "Lula's path to victory lies in mobilising voters who didn't vote in the first round" while Flavio Bolsonaro "will probably benefit from the voters who voted for other right-wing candidates and…France 24 · 6 Oct, 18:03

In this story: Flavio Bolsonaro · Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva · Jair Bolsonaro · Ronaldo Caiado · Romeu Zema · Brazil · Rio de Janeiro

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