Lula rallies tens of thousands on Copacabana on eve of Brazil runoff

Leftist president seeks historic comeback against far-right rival Flávio Bolsonaro in Sunday's vote

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published24 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Tens of thousands of supporters of Brazil's leftwing president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, packed Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach on Saturday for a giant rally on the final day of campaigning before Sunday's presidential runoff election, as polls show the race tied with his far-right challenger, Flávio Bolsonaro.

Nearly 159 million Brazilians are set to vote in the runoff, with the two candidates deadlocked in opinion polls after Bolsonaro won the first round on 4 October by 47% to 45%. Lula is trying to become the first candidate to overcome a first-round defeat since Brazil returned to democracy in the 1980s.

Under a fierce sun, red-clad crowds lined the 2.5-mile beach for what some supporters described as the largest protest in Brazilian history. Josias Silva, a 61-year-old truck driver carrying a sign reading 'Lula re-elected. Tomorrow will be a new day,' said: 'The people have woken up.' He added: 'Young people know we need this victory because otherwise we will have dictatorship again, and we don't want dictatorship.'

Bolsonaro, whose father Jair Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election to Lula, has positioned himself as a tough-on-crime candidate. Many Brazilian democrats fear the elder Bolsonaro could be released, and potentially return to government, if his son wins. Reports in the Brazilian press suggest several of Bolsonaro's fellow plotters may be given top military and police jobs under a Bolsonaro administration.

Bolsonaro supporters also rallied on Saturday, including thousands in Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais state, a key bellwether that no candidate has won the presidency without securing. Marcos Antonio, a 56-year-old cosmetics entrepreneur holding a flag merging the emblems of Brazil and the United States, said: 'The US is a great nation. Who wouldn't want to be aligned with them?'

Lula's campaign has been boosted by recent scandals involving his rival. Last week the Brazilian magazine Piauí reported that at the height of Brazil's 2020 coronavirus outbreak, Flávio Bolsonaro attended a boat party with sex workers and lobbyists seeking a vaccine deal with his father's government.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The outcome of Sunday's runoff will determine the direction of Brazil, Latin America's largest economy, for the next four years.
A victory for Flávio Bolsonaro could raise the prospect of a pardon or release for his father, Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted for plotting a coup after the 2022 election.
The election is seen as a test of democratic stability in Brazil, with Lula's supporters warning of a slide toward authoritarianism under the Bolsonaro family.

Background

Brazil's 2026 presidential election has been framed as a battle between two starkly different visions for the country. Lula, an 80-year-old leftist icon, led Brazil from 2003 to 2010 and returned to office in 2023 after defeating Jair Bolsonaro. The elder Bolsonaro's 27-year sentence for conspiring to overturn that result upended Brazilian politics. Flávio Bolsonaro, a senator and the eldest son, emerged as the far-right standard-bearer and won the first round of voting on 4 October. The campaign has been marked by large street protests, an AI-generated funk soundtrack, and deep polarization over issues of crime, corruption and public health.

Key Perspectives

Lula supporters: believe a Bolsonaro victory would threaten democracy. 'I'm here to prevent democracy becoming extinct, which is what the Bolsonaro family wants,' said Cammy Marinho, a 49-year-old DJ and activist. 61-year-old truck driver Josias Silva said: 'We don't want hatred. We don't want guns. We want a country of love.' Flávio Bolsonaro supporters: portray him as a candidate who will restore order and align Brazil with the United States. Marcos Antonio, a 56-year-old cosmetics entrepreneur, said: 'I don't want an alliance with Cuba or Venezuela. I want to move forward.' Antonio Carlos Costa Jr, a 59-year-old shooting club owner, complained: 'Lula did nothing for the country.'

What to Watch

The vote count on Sunday night, with early results expected to show whether Lula has closed the gap from the first round.
The performance in Minas Gerais, a key bellwether state where Bolsonaro led by under 5% in the first round.
The reaction of losing supporters: large protests or sporadic violence are possibilities, given the high stakes and the elder Bolsonaro's prison sentence.

Sources

Tens of thousands of Lula supporters rally on eve of Brazilian election runoff · The Guardian

Checked

11 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 8 supported.

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SupportedTens of thousands of Lula supporters rallied on Copacabana on the eve of Brazil’s runoff.World news | The Guardian: “Tens of thousands of supporters of Brazil’s leftwing president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, have streamed on to Rio’s most famous beach for a giant protest”
SupportedLula is seeking a historic comeback against far-right rival Flávio Bolsonaro in Sunday’s vote.World news | The Guardian: “a giant protest they hope will propel him towards a historic election fightback against his far-right rival, Flávio Bolsonaro”
Partly supportedThe rally took place on the final day of campaigning.World news | The Guardian: “one of the final presidential campaign rallies in Lula’s storied 50-year political career”
SupportedPolls showed Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro tied.World news | The Guardian: “with the pair tied in the polls”
SupportedNearly 159 million Brazilians were set to vote in the runoff.World news | The Guardian: “Nearly 159m Brazilians will vote in the election’s runoff on Sunday”
SupportedFlávio Bolsonaro won the first round on 4 October by 47% to 45%.World news | The Guardian: “after Bolsonaro won the first round on 4 October by 47% to 45%”
SupportedLula was trying to become the first candidate to overcome a first-round defeat since Brazil returned to democracy in the 1980s.World news | The Guardian: “Never since the return of democracy to Brazil in the 1980s has the first-round loser managed to bounce back.”
SupportedJosias Silva said, “The people have woken up.”World news | The Guardian: ““The people have woken up,” Silva said”
Partly supportedSome supporters described the rally as the largest protest in Brazilian history.World news | The Guardian: ““This is the biggest protest in the history of Brazil,” Silva claimed.”
Partly supportedLula’s campaign was boosted by recent scandals involving his rival.World news | The Guardian: “in recent days Lula has appeared to regain the initiative and climb in the polls, amid a succession of scandals involving his rightwing foe.”
SupportedPiauí reported that Flávio Bolsonaro attended a boat party with sex workers and lobbyists seeking a vaccine deal with his father’s government.World news | The Guardian: “Last week the Brazilian magazine Piauí claimed that at the height of Brazil’s 2020 coronavirus outbreak, Flávio Bolsonaro attended a boat party attended by sex workers and vaccine lobbyists hoping to strike a deal with the government of his father.”