Bolsonaro Lead Over Lula Shrinks as Trump Stays on Brazil Election Sideline
Trump has stayed out of Brazil’s runoff as Bolsonaro’s lead over Lula shrinks, a silence experts say is helping his ally.
A new Datafolha poll shows that Senator Flávio Bolsonaro and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva are tied at 50 percent each, ahead of Brazil's presidential runoff on Sunday. This is a shift from a 52-48 advantage Bolsonaro had two weeks prior. Bolsonaro finished first in the October 4 first round with 47.03 percent, while Lula received 45.16 percent.
If Bolsonaro wins, it would provide a boost to President Donald Trump's foreign policy agenda, which seeks to reshape Latin America under what has been termed the "Donroe Doctrine." Despite Bolsonaro's victory, Trump has largely remained silent on the race, a decision that foreign policy analysts believe has benefited Bolsonaro.
Trump's reticence may have prevented a rallying effect for Lula, as Bolsonaro's campaign avoids asking for an endorsement. The Trump administration has imposed sanctions and tariffs on Brazil, but analysts argue that its approach has had a greater impact on Lula than Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro has cultivated close ties with the administration, including meetings with high-ranking officials, while Democrats in Washington have criticized the revocation of Brazil's ambassador's visa.
Both candidates recently participated in a runoff debate, but analysts suggest that neither made any significant mistakes.
Written by urgent.news from Newsweek's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
