Lula takes to the streets of São Paulo to close the gap two weeks before the runoff

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva addressed a large crowd on São Paulo's Avenida Paulista on Sunday, aiming to reignite his campaign two weeks before the October 25 runoff. Trailing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, Lula emphasized the importance of maintaining democracy in the country. A recent Datafolha poll indicated that Bolsonaro holds 49% of voting intentions, while Lula follows with 45%.

The poll suggests a statistical tie, with only 1% of respondents remaining undecided. A significant portion of the population, 46%, stated they would not vote for Lula, and 43% expressed the same sentiment for Bolsonaro. The Workers' Party strategy now focuses on engaging the roughly 33 million Brazilians who did not cast their votes in the first round.

Lula's campaign has expanded its digital presence through testimonies from social program beneficiaries and messages targeting older and younger voters. As part of a seven-party alliance, Lula promised a technological revolution, improved public security, and economic growth during his second term. Bolsonaro, in turn, called on supporters not to grow complacent and met with the ten governors elected in the first round.

Bolsonaro proposed constitutional reforms to overhaul the judiciary, lower the age of criminal responsibility, and eliminate the possibility of re-election in future presidential elections. Despite the strong performance of Bolsonaro in the first round, no candidate has won the runoff after coming in second since direct presidential elections resumed in 1989.