Brazil's Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro neck and neck after bitter runoff campaign

Brazilians are heading to the polls for a closely fought presidential runoff between incumbent left-winger Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and right-wing senator Flávio Bolsonaro. According to the New Straits Times, Bolsonaro took a shock lead in the first round with 47 percent of the vote compared to Lula's 45 percent. Le Monde English reports that Lula, who is seeking a fourth term, has since benefited from a massive turnout and last-minute measures to secure his position after trailing following the October 4 vote.

Flávio Bolsonaro, the 45-year-old son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, campaigned on promises of tax and public spending cuts, a crackdown on organized crime, and the release of his father from prison. BBC News notes that Jair Bolsonaro is currently serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup. The New Straits Times describes the campaign as bitter, noting that the runoff will determine if Brazil remains a leftist nation or joins a regional shift toward the right.

In the closing stages of the election, Meta Platforms Inc. emerged as a central figure. Techmeme reports that Lula da Silva has alleged that Meta restricts his content, while a court has ordered the company not to interfere. Meta has cited glitches in response to these claims.

Brief written by urgent.news from Le Monde English, Techmeme, ABC News AU, BBC News, New Straits Times — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.