Lula and his Workers’ Party have presented this election as a “battle for democracy,” arguing that Jair Bolsonaro’s conviction for coup plotting was evidence that “Bolsonarism” constituted a threat to Brazil’s democratic institutions. During Lula’s last term, relations with Trump have been difficult. Lula has insisted that Brazil “doesn’t fit in anyone’s backyard,” an apparent reference to what Trump has called the “Donroe Doctrine”: his Trump administration’s national security strategy asserts that American dominance in the Western Hemisphere should not be interfered with. Bolsonaro, on the other hand, maintains that working with Washington to combat powerful criminal gangs – which wield immense power in parts of Brazil – will restore state sovereignty in areas controlled by the gangs. He has also been labeling the Workers’ Party as corrupt, reminding voters of the massive financial scandals that plagued the party for years and have turned many voters against him. São Paulo will see the results on Sunday night, while Bolsonaro will be in the capital, Brasilia, where his father is also under house arrest.
