Brazil's Lula vs Bolsonaro runoff to shape US influence in Latin America

Brazilians vote Sunday in a runoff between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and challenger Flávio Bolsonaro, a race that will shape U.S. influence in Latin America. Polls show the candidates neck-and-neck, with the winner needing over 50% of the vote to take office in January. Bolsonaro, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump and son of imprisoned former President Jair Bolsonaro, led Lula by 2.2 million votes in the first round, though over 33 million voters abstained. The rivals hold starkly opposing views on U.S. relations, climate change, and social welfare, with a Bolsonaro win signaling a rightward shift in the region’s largest economy. Lula faces challenges over living costs and security, while Bolsonaro is under investigation for corruption linked to a $12 million film payment. The next president will appoint at least three Supreme Court justices, and Bolsonaro has promised amnesty for his father, who is under house arrest for an attempted coup.