Brazil's election pits former President Jair Bolsonaro against Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the two political rivals whose contest has dominated the country's public life in recent years. Campaign materials bearing the faces of both men have appeared in Brasília this week, a visible sign of how central the pair remain to the national debate as the vote approaches.
The race is being watched closely in Brazil and beyond, given the size of Latin America's largest country and the weight of its political choices. The contest is a direct confrontation between two figures who have each held the presidency and who command deep loyalty among their supporters, while drawing strong opposition from others. Campaign towels showing both candidates have become one of the most recognisable images of the contest in the capital.
Mr. Bolsonaro, a far-right former army captain, governed Brazil from 2019 until 2022 and built a movement around conservative social positions, scepticism of the political establishment and close attention to the security and economic concerns of his base. Mr. Lula, a leftist former union leader, served two terms as president from 2003 to 2010 and returned to office after a long legal battle that ended in his favour, placing him back at the centre of national debate.
The rivalry has defined Brazilian politics since the polarised 2018 election, when Mr. Bolsonaro won the presidency. Supporters of each candidate have turned the contest into a choice between two visions of the country's future, with campaign events, slogans and symbols reflecting that divide. Voters are weighing questions of the economy, public safety, social policy and the country's democratic institutions as they decide between the two men.
The outcome will determine the direction of government in the years ahead, affecting policy on public spending, the environment and Brazil's standing abroad. The campaign also tests how durable the polarisation that has marked the country since the last presidential cycle really is, and how far either side can reach beyond its core supporters to win the votes of undecided and moderate Brazilians.
2
