Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro launch Brazilian presidential campaigns
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President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva addressed more than 10,000 supporters at Vila Euclides Stadium outside Sao Paulo on Sunday as he launched his re-election campaign. Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, rallied thousands of voters on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro in his bid for the presidency. The launches come ahead of an October election in which women are nearly 53 percent of Brazil's 158 million eligible voters.
Key Facts
- President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva spoke to more than 10,000 supporters on Sunday at Vila Euclides Stadium outside Sao Paulo.
- Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, gathered thousands of voters on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro while his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, was under house arrest.
- Women account for nearly 53 percent of Brazil's 158 million eligible voters, according to the country's electoral court.
- Brazil registered nearly 400 femicides in the first quarter of 2026, the highest number for the period since tracking began 11 years ago.
- Argentine President Javier Milei attended Flavio Bolsonaro's party convention, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several Trump administration members expressed support for him.
Campaign Launch Rallies
Lula addressed supporters at Vila Euclides Stadium outside Sao Paulo, the city where he rose to political fame 47 years ago as a metalworkers' union leader during Brazil's 1964-1985 military dictatorship. The 80-year-old president, wearing a hat after a skin cancer diagnosis, said Brazil needs more of his policies. Flavio Bolsonaro, a 45-year-old senator and son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, rallied voters on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. His father, under house arrest after a conviction for an attempted coup, did not attend the Rio rally.
Foreign Interference Claims
Lula repeated earlier comments denouncing foreign interference in Brazil's politics. His allies have accused the United States government of seeking to boost Flavio Bolsonaro's bid by raising tariffs on Brazilian exports and revoking the visa of Brazil's ambassador to Washington. Speaking about Brazil's rare mineral reserves, Lula said no one abroad will tap them and that Brazil will use them for the benefit of the Brazilian people. Bolsonaro argued that he is the only one who can sit with the United States, China, Israel, the Middle East, India and Argentina to make the best trade deals for Brazil. Argentina's President Javier Milei attended his party's convention, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several Trump administration members have expressed support for him.
Women Voters and Femicide
Both Lula, seeking his fourth nonconsecutive term, and right-wing challenger Flavio Bolsonaro have used the fight against gender violence to appeal to women voters. Women account for nearly 53 percent of Brazil's 158 million eligible voters, according to the country's electoral court. Brazil registered nearly 400 femicides in the first quarter of 2026, the highest number for the period since the country began tracking the crime 11 years ago, according to the Justice and Public Security Ministry's database. Lula said men need to learn from childhood that they are no better than women, with First Lady Rosangela da Silva standing by his side as one of the event's main speakers in Sao Bernardo do Campo. At his Workers' Party convention in early August, Lula said men who commit domestic or gender-based violence must choose between supporting him or hitting a woman, declaring that if they choose violence, they don't need to vote for him.
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Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro launch Brazilian presidential campaigns
