Final Brazil poll shows Bolsonaro ahead by 1.3 points

A CNT/MDA poll released Saturday placed Flavio Bolsonaro at 46.3 percent and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at 45 percent. The two candidates are within the 2.2 percentage point margin of error heading into Sunday's runoff vote. This result shows a 1.3 point gap, down from a 0.9 point gap in the same survey conducted one week prior.

The candidates held their final rallies on Saturday. Lula, 80, addressed a crowd at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro while wearing a red hat. He waved a Brazilian flag from a campaign truck. He contrasted himself with his rival by saying: "The people must choose either someone who kisses the national flag or someone who kisses the American flag."

Bolsonaro rallied supporters in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais. Hundreds of motorcyclists wearing Brazil's yellow national football shirts attended the event. Ebert Dorigo, one of the riders, told the news agency AFP that Lula's Workers' Party encouraged dependence on government welfare. He added: "The values we uphold are nation and family."

Lula seeks a fourth, non-consecutive term as president. The incumbent won the 2022 election against Jair Bolsonaro, Flavio Bolsonaro's father. Jair Bolsonaro served as president from 2019 to 2022. He is now serving a 27-year prison sentence for attempting a coup after that loss. The first round of the current election saw Flavio Bolsonaro take 47 percent of the vote, narrowly ahead of Lula's 45 percent.

The campaign has focused on economic policy, crime, and the country's political direction. Bolsonaro has pledged to add hundreds of thousands of prison places and cut government spending. The candidates held a final debate on Friday. They traded accusations over economic difficulties and their respective records but adopted a calmer tone than in previous exchanges.

Gabriela Ribeiro Viana, an event organizer, told AFP that the choice was difficult. She said: "If there were any other candidate, that would be a better option. But we're stuck choosing between the worst, the horrible, and the lesser evil."

Voting is scheduled for Sunday. The runoff will determine whether Lula remains in office or if Brazil shifts toward the right, a trend seen across the region.