Brazil's runoff pits Lula against Bolsonaro, with U.S. influence in Latin America at stake

Brazilians voted Sunday in a polarizing presidential runoff between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and challenger Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, a race that will determine whether the U.S. significantly expands its influence in Latin America. Polls showed a neck-and-neck contest. Bolsonaro, an ally of President Trump and son of imprisoned former President Jair Bolsonaro, beat Lula by over 2.2 million votes in the first round, though more than 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 pivot. A Lula victory would leave Brazil and Mexico with left-of-center leaders. Bolsonaro faces corruption investigations, while Lula's past convictions were annulled. The next president will name at least three Supreme Court justices, and Bolsonaro has promised amnesty for his father, who is under house arrest for an alleged coup attempt.