Incumbent Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro remained in contention in the country's elections, forcing a second round of voting against his socialist rival.
During Brazil's elections last Oct. 2, Bolsonaro's performance far exceeded the predictions of observers. A major opinion poll predicted a victory by former leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, known by the mononym Lula, winning by a 14 percent margin.
This margin shrank by almost nine percent when the Oct. 2 election results came in. Lula received 48.43 percent of the votes, while Bolsonaro received 43.2 percent – a 5.23 percent margin. Brazilian law states that a presidential candidate can only be declared as a winner if they receive 50 percent of the votes plus one, which Lula failed to achieve.
Thus, both Lula and Bolsonaro are headed for a second round of voting on Oct. 30 as per the country's election law. The populist leader will serve a second consecutive term if elected. Meanwhile, the left-leaning former president will mark his third stint in the federal capital Brasilia after being elected in 2002 and 2006.
"The extreme right is very strong across Brazil," said Insper Institute of Education and Research political scientist Carlos Melo. "Lula's second-round victory is now less likely. Bolsonaro will arrive with a lot of strength for re-election."
This momentum also extended to the incumbent president's allies vying for seats in Brazil's Federal senate. Of the 27 seats, Bolsonaro's coalition won 19 of them.
Many economic pundits say Brazilian markets are expected to rise in response to Bolsonaro's surprising performance. Even if Bolsonaro does not rally to win the second run-off election, many anticipate that Lula's failure to win the first round will nudge him toward more centrist and market-friendly policies – with a view to getting more votes.
Former Central Bank of Brazil Director Luiz Fernando Figueiredo explained: "If Bolsonaro wins, the reform agenda will continue. But if Lula wins, it should be a more pragmatic government – which should be positive for investors."
Why is Bolsonaro the better candidate?
The socialist-leaning Lula was involved in massive corruption and bribery through the Operation Car Wash scandal. In connection with this, he was convicted in 2017 on money laundering and corruption charges. Lula spent 19 months in prison – until the Brazilian Supreme Federal Court overturned his convictions in 2021. (Related: Criminal chaos in Brazil sheds light on likely future for America when Trump starts arresting the criminal traitors of the deep state.)
Bolsonaro, known for his right-wing populist policies, was first elected in 2018. The incumbent Brazilian leader had been going against the grain, and this became evident during the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. While other countries practiced medical tyranny, Bolsonaro followed the path of health freedom.
Back in July 2020, he caught COVID-19 following months of downplaying the disease's severity. In spite of this, he told reporters that he was feeling "well and normal."
"You can't just talk about the consequences of the virus that you have to worry about," Bolsonaro remarked. "Life goes on. Brazil needs to produce. You need to get the economy in gear."
The Brazilian leader recovered from his bout with COVID-19 and subsequently built up natural immunity to it. He cited this natural protection, which is superior to vaccine-induced immunity, as a reason why he refused the COVID-19 clot shot.
"I've decided not to get vaccinated," Bolsonaro said during an October 2021 radio interview. "I'm looking at new studies, I already have the highest immunization. Why would I get vaccinated?"
In line with his support of health freedom, the Brazilian president also opposed proof of vaccination requirements. "For me, freedom comes before everything else. If a citizen doesn't want to get vaccinated, that's [their] right and that's the end of it," he said during the same radio interview.
Watch incumbent Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro reiterate that Brazil rejects the pandemic treaty put forward by the World Health Organization.
This video is from the Journaltv channel on Brighteon.com.
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"So what?" Brazil's Bolsonaro shrugs off surging number of coronavirus deaths.
WHO director-general shuns vaccine passports, admits shots do not prevent COVID.
Klaus Schwab issues THREAT to Brazilian president for refusing to sign WHO pandemic treaty.
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