Sunday’s Brazilian presidential election isn’t just about who will lead the government: It’s also a test of President Trump’s influence in Latin America and the future of the Amazon, Axios reports. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva faces Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, heir to the movement built by his father, Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence for a coup plot and is barred from office. Trump, who imposed new tariffs on Brazilian goods this summer and briefly sanctioned a Brazilian Supreme Court judge involved in the prosecution of Jair Bolsonaro, said he was watching the contest “very closely” but had not endorsed any candidate. Polls show Lula and the younger Bolsonaro essentially tied and likely headed for a runoff.
The differences: The issues extend well beyond domestic politics. Brazil controls most of the Amazon, where deforestation has declined sharply under Lula, even as he exploits new offshore oil resources. Flávio Bolsonaro questions climate science and wants looser environmental rules, tougher crime policies, tax cuts and deeper alignment with Trump’s “Shield of the Americas” initiative. Lula, who is seeking a fourth non-consecutive term, is running on left-wing economic policy and social spending. If no one exceeds 50% of valid votes, the race will head to a runoff on October 25.
The vote: Nearly 160 million eligible voters will use electronic voting machines to enter the numbers corresponding to their candidates, preparing large lists, according to the AP. Electronic voting machines were adopted in the 1990s to combat fraud. In previous local elections, ballot boxes were stuffed or stolen, and paper ballots were routinely falsified, according to Brazilian electoral authorities. The country held no direct presidential elections between 1960 and 1989, a period marked by military rule from 1964 to 1985. Today, results are released just hours after polling stations close. In the run-up to the 2022 vote, Jair Bolsonaro has repeatedly expressed unfounded doubts about Brazil’s electronic voting system. No significant fraud has ever been detected.
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