Ankara:Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has expanded his lead over Senator Flavio Bolsonaro in first-round voting intention polls, just days before the presidential election. Despite this, two surveys released on Monday indicate that the candidates remain in a statistical dead heat ahead of a potential runoff.
According to Anadolu Agency, polls conducted by Quaest and Nexus show Lula gaining ground as the first-round vote approaches on Oct. 4. Under Brazilian election law, if no candidate secures more than 50% of the valid votes, the top two contenders will face off in a second-round runoff on Oct. 25.
The Quaest poll, commissioned by O Globo and TV Globo, indicates that Lula holds 39% of voting intentions, compared to 34% for Bolsonaro, widening the president's lead from a four-point margin the previous week. Other surveys suggest a closer race, with a Futura/100% Cidades poll showing Lula at 38.3% and Bolsonaro at 37.7%, within the margin of error.
Flavio Bolsonaro, a 45-year-old lawyer and senator, was chosen as the conservative candidate by his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro. The elder Bolsonaro is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup d'©tat after narrowly losing to Lula in the 2022 election.
Flavio Bolsonaro's political career began early, becoming a Rio de Janeiro state deputy at age 21 and a federal senator at 37. His national profile was relatively low until he received his father's endorsement. His campaign, however, has been scrutinized for an investigation into alleged corruption and money laundering related to a biographical film about his father, funded in part by a banker arrested for fraud.
Flavio positions himself as an international conservative, highlighting his connections with foreign allies, including a private meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House earlier this year.
The Brazilian election holds significant geopolitical and economic implications. As an agricultural powerhouse with rich natural resources, Brazil possesses key reserves of rare earth elements, vital freshwater supplies, and substantial offshore oil fields. The election also underscores a changing political landscape in Latin America, where Flavio Bolsonaro represents a conservative wave in a region increasingly aligned with Trump's agenda.