Now that the polls in Brazil have closed, the count has begun. In the second and decisive round of the presidential elections, far-right President Jair Bolsonaro (67) and former Social Democratic President Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva (76) are engaged in a neck-and-neck race. Hours before the polls closed, there were reports of the federal police being unable to vote in predominantly Lula-oriented areas, but these have been denied by the official regulator.
With 20 percent of the vote counted, Bolsonaro leads with 51.5 percent of the vote, while Lula has 48.5 percent of the vote. In the latest polls, Lula enjoyed a narrow lead — of just a few percentage points. The first round was just won by Lula. He got 48 percent of the vote; Bolsonaro 43 percent.
Some 150 million Brazilians today controlled the fate of the climate, among other things. Led by Bolsonaro (2019–present) deforestation of the Amazon has increased at a rapid pace, while Lula dealt with this in his period as president (2003-’10). Bolsonaro made short shrift of conservation measures, cut back on environmental sciences and fired environmental experts. He subordinated the rights of the indigenous people of the Amazon to the profits of agricultural industry.
The winner of the battle will have to revive the stagnant Brazilian economy. Although the national currency real is recovering, the aftermath of the pandemic remains noticeable. An estimated 33 million Brazilians suffer from hunger, while hunger was virtually eradicated under Lula’s first reign. Brazil is one of the most unequal countries in Latin America and income disparities have widened further during the pandemic.
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