theSIGNAL NEWS
25 October 2026
"Democracy is the art of running the circus from the monkey cage."
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World

Brazil Votes: Lula or a Bolsonaro?

Brazilians choose on Sunday between an 80-year-old leftist icon and the 45-year-old son of a jailed ex-president in a runoff too close to call.

Brazil votes today. The choice could hardly be starker. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, 80, wants a fourth term as president. Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, wants to bring his family name back to power.

Bolsonaro won the first round this month. He beat Lula by more than 2.2 million votes, taking 47 percent to Lula's 45. Neither man reached a majority, so the two face a runoff.

Polls suggest the race remains tight. Bolsonaro, an ally of US President Donald Trump, campaigns while his father, Jair, serves a prison sentence for plotting a coup to stay in office after the 2022 election. Lula's story is unusual even by Brazilian standards. He began as a factory worker and lost a finger in an accident at 19.

As president from 2003 to 2010, he rode a commodities boom and cash-transfer programs that lifted millions out of poverty.

Photo: Oxana Melis / Unsplash
Voters in Brazil queue to cast ballots in a presidential runoff between Lula and Bolsonaro.
🗳️
2.2 million
Votes by which Bolsonaro beat Lula in round one
Discuss
  • Lula's approval fell to 24 percent, yet he remains competitive. What might explain this gap between popularity and votes?
  • Flavio Bolsonaro campaigns while his father is jailed for a coup plot. Does a family name help or hurt?
World

Lula Fights for a Fourth Term

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is chasing a comeback. Brazil's president, a former factory worker and union leader, wants a fourth term. His rivals are the Bolsonaros, whose far-right movement could return to power if he fails. Analysts describe him as stubborn but pragmatic, a survivor of prison and political exile. Supporters in São Paulo see experience. Critics see age and fatigue.…
  • Can a veteran leader convince voters he still represents Brazil's future, not only its past?
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World

Bolsonaro's "Moderate" Son Threatens Lula

Flávio Bolsonaro is now Lula's most serious rival. The 45-year-old senator presents himself as the family's moderate, a calmer face than his father, Jair. Yet corruption investigations hang over him. Critics say the image is carefully staged. Brazil's election could hinge on one question. Voters in São Paulo and in the rural interior may weigh polish against scandal differently.…
  • Can a politician under corruption investigation credibly sell himself as the moderate choice?
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theSIGNAL IN THE LAB
IVOCABULARY
runoffcommodities boom
annulledapprovalpardoned
vote-buyingdynasty
IIGRAMMAR FOCUS
Modal verbs of deduction and speculation (must have, cannot have, might have)
Use 'must have' + past participle when you are almost certain something happened, 'cannot have' when you are almost certain it did not, and 'might have' (or 'could have') when something was possible but uncertain.
must · cannot · might · could · have · been · had
  1. Lula lost a finger in a factory accident at 19, so his early working life have been extremely hard.
  2. Neither candidate reached a majority in the first round, so the polls have been wrong about who would win outright.
  3. Flavio Bolsonaro's first-round lead of more than 2.2 million votes means many voters have decided that a change of government was needed.
  4. Lula's approval has fallen as low as 24 percent, so worries about crime and the cost of living have played a part in that decline.
  5. The corruption convictions against Lula were later annulled, so he have remained in prison until the 2022 election.
  6. Critics claim the sudden rise in Bolsa Familia payments have been timed to win votes, although supporters deny it.
IIIPHRASAL VERBS
Match the phrasal verb to its definition. All six appear in today’s articles.
  1. to bring back (e.g. a name or a tradition) into use or power
  2. to face a difficult situation or period and survive it
  3. to be placed in a position of risk or worry, as a threat does
  4. to depend on one factor for the final outcome
  5. to cause something to rise out of a harmful condition
IVCRITICAL THINKING
The articles describe the same election through different lenses: one stresses Lula's long life story, another stresses polling and policy moves, and a third stresses a rival's polished image. How might the choice of what to emphasise shape a reader's sympathy before any evidence is weighed? Pick one detail from the articles that you think gets too little attention and explain why it matters.
VCREATIVE · HEADLINES
Write a headline for the top story in each of the following styles. One line each, no explanation:
  • TABLOID NEWSPAPER
  • LUXURY MAGAZINE
  • ACTIVIST BLOG
VIWRITING
Imagine you are a first-time voter in São Paulo on the morning of the runoff. Write a short diary entry (80-100 words) describing which worries are most on your mind and how you feel about walking into the polling station.
VIIDEGREES OF EXTREMITY
Complete each ladder from mild to strong.
  • The race is close→→
  • The two men are different→→
  • Voters are unhappy→→
  • His approval has dropped→→
  • Critics question the measures→→
  • He has faced some problems→→
VIIISPEAKING
  1. Is it fair to judge a candidate by a relative's actions?
  2. Which matters more when you vote: personality or policy? Why?
  3. Should voting be compulsory, as it is in Brazil?
  4. How much do polls influence the way people vote?