Brazilian president urges supporters to vote for democracy and defeat the far right.
On Friday, Brazilian President and re-election candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called for “killing the disgrace” and defeating Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro in the first round on Sunday.
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In Rio de Janeiro, thousands of citizens walked alongside the Workers’ Party leader, actively mobilizing in favor of democracy and against the fascist far right.
Lula urged his fellow citizens to go out and vote to win the presidential election without the need for a second round, something that has not happened since 1998.
The leftist leader’s message was delivered from Cinelandia, a neighborhood that went down in history as the site of mass demonstrations against the military dictatorship in the 1980s.
A voz do povo é o dado que mais importa! ❤️🇧🇷
Estive hoje pelas ruas do centro do Rio de Janeiro, da Praça Pio X em direção à Candelária, com muita gente acompanhando o percurso.
Sigo ao lado dos trabalhadores e trabalhadoras para o Rio avançar, com mais direitos, dignidade e… pic.twitter.com/AOwN9PvK6y
— Lula (@LulaOficial) October 2, 2026
President Lula da Silva’s message reads: “The voice of the people is what matters most! Today, I walked the streets of downtown Rio de Janeiro—from Pio X Square to Candelaria—accompanied by many people along the way. I stand with the workers so that Rio moves forward, with more rights, dignity, and opportunities for the people. Join Team 13!”
“What is at stake is not the victory of one man, but the victory of an idea: democracy,” Lula said from atop a truck, where he recalled the attempted coup carried out by Flavio’s father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison.
“We cannot allow the Banco Master gang to govern this country again,” Lula said, referring to Flavio Bolsonaro’s ties to Daniel Vorcaro, a banker responsible for the largest financial fraud in Brazil’s history.
During the 2026 campaign, Rio’s massive pro-Lula rallies have taken on unusual relevance because they break with what might have been expected. A stronghold of far-right militias, Rio de Janeiro would appear to be turning its back on the Bolsonaro clan, whose members have held positions as councilman, congressman and senator representing the territory.
This week, the latest opinion polls give Lula da Silva 45% of the valid votes and Flavio Bolsonaro 40%. If none of the candidates manages to surpass 50%, Brazilians would return to the polls on Oct. 25 to determine who will occupy the presidency of the republic.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE – teleSUR
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