Lula Leads Massive Final Campaign Rally on Avenida Paulista Ahead of Brazil’s Run-Off Vote
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva concluded his reelection campaign on Saturday with a massive mobilisation on Avenida Paulista in Sao Paulo, rallying supporters just hours before the decisive second-round presidential vote.
Seeking a historic fourth term as head of state, Lula moved through a dense crowd of supporters waving both Brazilian national flags and the flags of his ruling Workers’ Party.
The high-stakes run-off election will determine Brazil’s presidency for the 2027–2030 term. The outcome is poised to reshape the political, economic, and diplomatic trajectory of Latin America’s largest economy.
Supporters Rally Against ‘Bolsonarism’ and Foreign Influence
Standing on the rear of a vehicle alongside his wife, Rosangela da Silva, and his core campaign team, Lula was met with intense enthusiasm from voters deeply concerned about the country’s future.
Many attendees expressed stark fears regarding the return of right-wing populism. “These will be difficult times, as we also went through in the period when his father (Jair Bolsonaro) was president,” said campaign supporter Jose Eduardo. “And even then, there was a pandemic that discredited and killed many people. Many deaths could have been avoided.”
Beyond domestic politics, the crowd fiercely advocated for national sovereignty, particularly regarding Brazil’s rich natural resources. Voters explicitly rejected a potential surge in U.S. influence under a future Trump administration, pointing to Brazil’s vast deposits of rare earths—strategic minerals vital to global technology and energy sectors.
“Brazil has rare earths. Trump will not come here to Brazil. Brazil is sovereign!” declared an attendee named Natan.
A Fight for Healthcare and National Sovereignty
For others in the crowd, the election represents a literal lifeline. Luciana, a supporter currently living with breast cancer, explained that her presence at the Avenida Paulista rally was rooted in the collective fight for public healthcare access.
“I am here because I am a woman with breast cancer, because I am someone who fights for other people to have the same right to treatment as I do,” she said.
The massive gathering in Sao Paulo officially marked the end of Lula’s public campaign events. It followed a similarly large mobilization on Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Copacabana beach earlier in the week, capping off a fierce race that has deeply polarized the nation.
(VIORY)
