Brazil votes in high-stakes election as U.S.-China rivalry and debt loom large

Brazil's President and presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva waves a national flag during a campaign rally in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Sept. 26, 2026. Miguel Schincariol | Afp | Getty ImagesBrazil will hold a knife-edge vote on Sunday as its presidential race kicks off — but the election's outcome is likely to be felt far beyond the country's borders. Voters will head to the polls to decide whether incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva — known colloquially as Lula — should remain in office or be replaced by one of 12 alternative candidates. If no ​candidate wins more than 50% of votes ​in Sunday's first round, the two candidates with the most support ⁠will progress to a final runoff vote on Oct. 25.Polls point to a tight race, with frontrunners Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro effectively tied for support among voters. A win for left-leaning Lula would mark his fourth presidential term, while victory for Bolsonaro is expected to mark a shift back to his father's right-wing movement.Lula versus Bolsonaro Lula's center-left Workers Party (PT) has been a pioneer of social programs aimed at lifting millions of people out of poverty — but it has been stained by corruption scandals. Lula ...