Brazil votes in tense Lula-Bolsonaro runoff that could reshape U.S. influence in Latin America

Brazilians voted Sunday in a tense presidential runoff between incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro, a race that will determine U.S. influence in Latin America. Polls showed the candidates neck-and-neck, with the winner needing over 50% of the vote to take office in January. Bolsonaro, an ally of President Donald Trump and son of imprisoned former President Jair Bolsonaro, beat Lula by 2.2 million votes in the first round, though 33 million voters abstained. The candidates hold opposing views on U.S. relations, climate change, and social welfare, with a Bolsonaro win signaling a rightward shift in the region. Security and cost-of-living concerns dominate the campaign, with both candidates facing corruption allegations. Bolsonaro is under investigation for accepting $12 million from a banker, while Lula’s past convictions were annulled. Third-party voters and abstentions from the first round could prove decisive, with results expected hours after polls close.