Brazil’s Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro kick off their presidential campaigns

Brazil's leading presidential candidates, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, launched their campaigns on Sunday in their respective political strongholds. Lula addressed over 10,000 supporters at the Vila Euclides Stadium in Sao Paulo, his former base of power during the country's military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985.

Meanwhile, Bolsonaro gathered with thousands of voters on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, where his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, was under house arrest for his role in an attempted coup.

Lula reiterated his stance against foreign interference in Brazil's elections, citing concerns that the U.S. government might influence Bolsonaro's campaign through actions such as imposing tariffs on Brazilian exports and revoking the visa of Brazil's ambassador to Washington. He emphasized that Brazil's vast reserves of rare minerals would be exploited for the benefit of its people, stating "no one (abroad) will tap our minerals."

Both candidates recognized the importance of women voters, who make up nearly 53% of Brazil's 158 million eligible voters. Lula, seeking his fourth nonconsecutive term, called for gender equality, urging men to learn from childhood that they are no better than women. His wife, First Lady Rosângela da Silva, was a prominent speaker at the event and supported his platform for women's education initiatives and policies to combat violence against women.

Bolsonaro, accompanied by his mother and wife, pledged to address violence against women, echoing Lula's commitment to the issue.