Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro hold final Rio rallies before Brazil runoff
Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro staged rival final rallies in Rio de Janeiro before Sunday's second round, with polls neck and neck and turnout a key focus.
How it was covered
- BBC News was the only channel found covering it.
- Channel 5, BBC One, Channel 4, GB News, ITV and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
Rival rallies in Rio
Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro held rival final campaign rallies in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, the last day of campaigning before Brazil's second round presidential election on Sunday. The incumbent left-wing president, Lula, is trying to stay in power, while the conservative challenger, Flavio Bolsonaro, is seeking to build on his first-round lead.
Opinion polls show the race is neck and neck. Flavio Bolsonaro came first in the first round earlier this month, with Lula second. In the final days, the polls have tightened and the number of undecided voters has risen, making the result hard to predict.
On Copacabana beach, Lula's supporters gathered in large numbers, crying and singing his name. The closing rally was intended to mobilise voters. Some supporters said turnout in the first round was not as high as it should have been and that many people did not vote. They argued that a stronger turnout could make a difference on Sunday.
In his home neighbourhood, a wealthy suburb of Rio, Flavio Bolsonaro's supporters filled the streets for his final day of campaigning. Many wore the yellow Brazil football shirt, which has become a de facto uniform for the right in Brazil and has displeased some left-wing football fans. Posters showed Flavio and his father, Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a sentence for plotting a coup after losing the last election. Flavio has promised to free his father if elected. Banners and flags read 'Lula out'.
Flavio's supporters are optimistic because he won the first round, while Lula's supporters know they face an uphill battle. With the race tightening, both camps used the final rallies to try to convert support into votes. Polls open on Sunday morning.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Reported by all 2 channels | ||
| Flavio Bolsonaro pledged to free his father Jair Bolsonaro if elected. | Reported by BBC One | |
| Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro held campaign rallies on Saturday before Sunday's vote. | Reported by BBC One | |
| Polls narrowed in the final days and the share of undecided voters increased. | Reported by BBC One | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC News framed the story around the closeness of the race and the atmosphere at two rival rallies in Rio. Its correspondent put turnout, undecided voters and the symbolism of the yellow football shirt at the centre of the report, while also noting Flavio Bolsonaro's promise to free his father Jair, who is serving a sentence for plotting a coup. The tone was descriptive and cautious, with no firm prediction beyond a tight contest.
- “Here on the streets of Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro fans of the incumbent left-wing president Lula da Silva are crying and singing his name.”
- “the polls suggest that this race has got a lot closer. It also suggests that the number of people who are undecided is on the rise.”
- “There's many posters here of his face but also the face of his father Jair Bolsonaro who's serving a sentence for plotting a coup after losing the last election.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.