Key facts
- Lula supporters rallied on Copacabana beach on Saturday, the day before the election runoff.
- The election runoff is between Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro.
- Bolsonaro won the first round on October 4 with 47% of the vote, while Lula received 45%.
- Polls suggest a tight race, with some analysts viewing Bolsonaro as the slight favorite.
- Recent scandals involving Flávio Bolsonaro have led to speculation of a potential Lula comeback.
Tens of thousands of supporters of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva gathered on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach on Saturday, the day before the election runoff. The rally aimed to boost Lula's chances against his far-right rival, Flávio Bolsonaro, in what is seen as a historic election fightback. The first round of voting on October 4 saw Bolsonaro secure 47% of the vote compared to Lula's 45%, with nearly 159 million Brazilians eligible to vote in Sunday's runoff. Supporters at the rally expressed confidence in Lula's potential victory, citing a desire to prevent a return to what they described as dictatorship and hatred. Recent scandals involving Flávio Bolsonaro have fueled speculation that Lula could achieve an unprecedented comeback, as no first-round loser has managed to win the presidency since Brazil's return to democracy in the 1980s. Meanwhile, supporters of Flávio Bolsonaro also held rallies in other cities, including Belo Horizonte, emphasizing their candidate's stance on tackling crime and aligning with the US.