Brazil's runoff election: Lula faces Bolsonaro as 160 million voters head to polls

Brazil's presidential runoff election opened on October 25, with about 160 million voters choosing between leftist incumbent Lula and conservative Flavio Bolsonaro, who leads with 51% support in polls. Lula, seeking a fourth non-consecutive term, positions himself as a democracy defender against US pressure, while Bolsonaro, son of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro, promises tougher crime policies and public spending cuts. First-round results gave Bolsonaro 47% versus Lula's 45%. Bolsonaro pledges to free his father, serving 27 years under house arrest for attempting to overturn the 2022 election. The campaign saw accusations of algorithmic manipulation against Meta, and climate change received little attention despite Amazon fires.