Lula Faces His Legacy and the Past in Brazil's Runoff

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, nearing 81, has embraced social media as "selfie king" after trailing conservative candidate Flávio Bolsonaro in the first election round, urging voters to mobilize. This marks a shift for the leftist icon, who long dismissed phones, as he seeks a fourth non-consecutive term against the 45-year-old son of far-right ex-president Jair Bolsonaro. Lula, born into poverty in 1945, rose from factory worker to union leader and president in 2003, later serving 580 days in prison on a corruption conviction that was annulled. His third term, starting in 2022, restored welfare programs and curbed Amazon deforestation, but critics note a lack of new ideas and persistent right-wing attacks. Ahead of Sunday's runoff, Lula frames the race as defending democracy against the far right, while Flávio Bolsonaro says "we see no future" in him. Lula's wife, Rosângela da Silva, assists his campaign, and his legacy as Brazil's longest-serving elected president is secure regardless of the outcome.