Flávio Bolsonaro presses first-round vote pitch in São Paulo campaign swing
Brazilian opposition candidate Flávio Bolsonaro campaigned in downtown São Paulo, urging voters to back him in Sunday's first round against President Lula.
With Brazil's presidential election less than a week away, opposition candidate Flávio Bolsonaro took his campaign through downtown São Paulo on Monday, pressing supporters to hand him victory in the first round.
"I urge anyone who can to vote for me in the first round — with all due respect to my opponents — because Brazil cannot take another day of this government," the senator told reporters during the day's events.
Brazilians go to the polls on Sunday, October 4, in a sharply polarized contest that pits Bolsonaro against incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. A runoff is scheduled for October 25 if no candidate secures more than half of the valid votes in the first round.
Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a sentence for attempting a coup, is seeking to revive his father's political movement as the region sees a broader shift to the right.
His day began at the Municipal Market of São Paulo, a well-known tourist destination, where he arrived surrounded by supporters and political allies. He was joined by São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas, who is seeking reelection, and Mayor Ricardo Nunes. The group sampled coxinha, a traditional Brazilian snack, and spoke with the press.
Later, the candidate moved through Galeria Pajé, a traditional hub for street vendors in the Brás neighborhood, meeting shopkeepers and traders. Supporters chanted "Myth, Myth!" at the market and "Flávio, Flávio!" in Brás.
Addressing the closing stretch of the race, Bolsonaro said he would take part in a debate on TV Globo and called on Lula to attend. "He is the one I want to debate. I am challenging him to discuss which vision for Brazil is better—mine or his," he said.
Lawyer Fhran Marçal, speaking at the campaign event, framed the election as a contest over the country's direction. "What is at stake in our country is our legal certainty—the security of our nation, our families, and our education. And we cannot leave our country mired in the corruption that exists today," he said.
As Bolsonaro and his allies left the event, some supporters carried a sign bearing the faces of Lula and Supreme Court Minister Alexandre de Moraes, with the words "Fora ditadores" — "Out, dictators."