Brazil Votes in Tight Presidential Race Between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro

Brazilians voted Sunday in a very close presidential runoff election. The two candidates were Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, known as 'Lula,' the current president, and Flávio Bolsonaro, a senator and son of former President Jair Bolsonaro. To win, a candidate needed more than 50% of the vote. The result would shape Brazil's future and its ties with the United States.

Polls showed the race was nearly tied going into election day. In the first round earlier this month, Bolsonaro finished ahead of Lula by more than 2.2 million votes. More than 33 million eligible voters did not show up for that round. Their choices in the runoff could decide who leads Brazil starting in January.

The two candidates have very different ideas about running the country. Lula leans left, meaning he supports government programs to help poor and working-class people. Bolsonaro leans right, favoring stricter law enforcement and closer ties with U.S. President Trump. Their differences cover climate change, crime, taxes, and trade.

A Bolsonaro win would move Brazil in a more conservative direction. That would match a trend in Latin America, where leaders who support Trump's policies won in Chile, Peru, and Colombia this year. A Lula win would keep Brazil aligned with Mexico under left-of-center leadership.

This is not the first time these political forces have faced off. Four years ago, Lula defeated Flávio's father, Jair Bolsonaro, by the slimmest margin since Brazil returned to democracy in 1985. That result remains a sore point for many Bolsonaro supporters.

Lula, who served as Brazil's president from 2003 to 2010, faced a tough campaign this time. Many voters worry about the rising cost of everyday items and about crime. Bolsonaro made fighting crime the main focus of his campaign and promised to lower food prices. Both candidates have also been tied to corruption scandals involving family members.

Bolsonaro admitted receiving about $12 million from a disgraced banker to make a film about his father. He is now under investigation for corruption, money laundering, and tax evasion. Lula once spent more than a year in prison on corruption charges, though those convictions were later thrown out.

Voters explained their choices in different ways. 'Lula is a man of the people and he knows what it's like to be poor,' said Luzia da Souza, a bar owner in Rio de Janeiro. Bolsonaro backers said they want change. 'Things are really expensive and taxes are too high,' said Fabianne Borges Santoro, a physical therapist in Rio.

Election day was not without problems. In Bahia state, at least 75 public buses were blocked from leaving their garages, making it harder for many people to reach polling places. A state judge ordered the arrest of the city's transportation secretary over the incident. Lula called it an attack on democracy.

The United States played a background role in the election. Lula criticized the Trump administration for placing high tariffs on Brazilian goods and labeling some Brazilian criminal groups as terrorist organizations. Bolsonaro boasted about his closeness to Trump and said Brazil should work with the U.S. on trade, especially involving rare minerals. President Trump said he was watching the race but would not endorse either candidate.