Presidential election in Brazil: only restrained jubilation in the Lula camp

Status: 03.10.2022 07:43

That was closer than expected: challenger Lula won the first round of the presidential election. Incumbent Bolsonaro did better than expected. The country now faces tense weeks.

By Anne Herrberg, ARD Studio Rio de Janeiro

It was just after 8 p.m. when cheers finally broke out on the Praça São Salvador in Rio de Janeiro – here, where the supporters of left-wing ex-president Lula da Silva, dressed in red, had been waiting for the result.

But there remains a restrained jubilation with a bitter aftertaste – for example for Raul Palermo and Petra Novais. They had already hoped for Lula’s victory in the first ballot: “The result is like a bucket of cold water because Lula was much better ahead of Bolsonaro in the polls.” Now it’s getting complicated and there’s a lot of fake news. Bolsonaro and the extreme right are strong.

But she’s not afraid, says Novais: “We can do it. Bolsonaro is homophobic, racist, misogynistic. I don’t want that anymore. I’m sure our next president will be called Lula.”

Lula is calm

At the end of October it will be decided who will govern Brazil from 2023. Lula, 76, appeared calm as he faced the cameras at 10pm at the campaign headquarters in Sao Paulo. This is only a postponement of his election victory, he explained to supporters.

It is a second chance to discuss the country’s problems face-to-face with Jair Bolsonaro and to expose his lies: “The economy, jobs, salaries, education and health care in our country are in bad shape. We Brazil must also do better internationally.”

But the disillusionment could be seen in him and his fellow campaigners. Bolsonaro emerged stronger from the first ballot – and not only he: Close allies were also victorious in the election of governors and senators.

Bolsonaro is aimed at poor people

The right-wing incumbent was moderate when he appeared before the press in Brasilia in the evening. He addressed the poorer sections of the population directly, traditionally Lula voters: “We will show the Brazilian population, especially the needy, that the crisis is the result of those who said, ‘Everyone stay at home during the pandemic, we’ll take a look at the economy later on’.”

Then there is the war abroad. “And with the change that the left is proposing, things can get worse – like in Chile, Argentina, Colombia or Venezuela.”

Bolsonaro could also feel confirmed in his criticism of the election polls, which he describes as “lying polls”. They had last seen Lula with a clear lead.

Bolsonaro voter Carolina Veloso is not at all surprised: she followed the results with her family in a bar on Copacabana, all dressed in green and yellow national jerseys: “We can see that Bolsonaro is mobilizing the masses in every city, they are them Numbers we believe.” The polls and the media deliberately misrepresented the situation in order to influence people. “But we already expected that and it wouldn’t be a surprise to us if cheating is attempted in the second run.”

The elections are taking place in a politically heated climate. The extreme polarization was confirmed again on election Sunday. The country now faces four more tense weeks of campaigning.

Brazil – Lula is just ahead – Decision made in runoff election

Anne Herrberg, ARD Rio de Janeiro, October 3, 2022 6:08 a.m

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