The student-led movement taking to the streets after President Lula da Silva was defeated in the first round of Brazil’s presidential elections Oct. 4, in defense of sovereignty and against opponent Flávio Bolsonaro’s vow to place Brazil under U.S. dictates, has now spread throughout the country after mammoth rallies in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo last week. Over the past two days, pro-Lula rallies have taken place in 11 other state capitals. Thirteen cities spread across the prominent state of Minas Gerais alone have rallies scheduled, with another 20-30 planned in other states. The second round of voting will occur Oct. 25, eleven days from now. Bolsonaro received 47% of the vote in the first round; Lula, 45%. Three right-wing minor candidates have urged their voters to vote for Bolsonaro in the final round.
The Brazilian Senate will be voting late Wednesday on a signature measure promoted by Lula’s government, to have a 5-day work week, rather than the current 6-day work week, embedded as the standard in the nation’s labor laws. Bolsonaro, who had opposed the measure, reversed direction on the eve of the vote, saying he would now vote for it. The measure was highly popular, and he feared political blow-back at a late stage in the elections. He similarly reversed direction in a debate with Lula. He originally said he would not participate in a debate scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 18. When Lula enthusiastically accepted, Flavio lamely said he’d only said “no” to draw Lula out, but had planned to participate all along.
That same Sunday there will be dueling mega-rallies, one in São Paulo for Bolsonaro, one in Rio, at the iconic Copacabana Beach main avenue, for Lula.
The major question up for grabs, is how many of the 20% of voters who abstained from voting in the first round will vote in the second. Brazil is a nation addicted to the internet and social media. The Bolsonaro machine, starting eight years ago, harnessed a formidable attack mode on social media to help elect Flávio’s father, Jair, President. Two young social media celebrities, Nikolas Ferreira (Minas Gerais) and Lucas Pavanato (São Paulo), won seats in the Federal Chamber of Deputies for Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party in this year’s Oct. 4 congressional races by the largest votes in Brazilian history, well over 3 million each, demonstrating that the Bolsonaro social media machine remains formidable. The Supreme Electoral Court, a branch of the Federal Supreme Court, is run by Bolsonaristas. They’ve been trying to shut down as much pro-Lula social media as possible (helped by anti-Lula rigged algorithms on Meta’s Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp), leaving Flávio’s largely untouched. An outcry is growing over this favoritism, with even some Bolsonaristas acknowledging the injustice.
