#Brazil

Like father, like son: the Bolsonaro dynasty's return is a warning to every democracy

Flávio Bolsonaro's first-round win — 47% against Lula's 45% — is not a fresh face but a family inheritance: the machine of a jailed coup-plotter, rebuilt under his eldest son. Brazil's October 25 runoff is a referendum on whether authoritarianism can simply change its name.

5 October 2026 · 2 min read

Official portrait of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

International

Knife-edge in Brasília: Lula and Bolsonaro's heir race toward an October 25 runoff

Polls put Lula at 45-46% and Flávio Bolsonaro at 42-45% in Brazil's first round on Sunday — a statistical tie with neither above the 50% threshold. The two are headed for a runoff on October 25, and prediction markets bizarrely price the Bolsonaro heir as the favourite.

5 October 2026 · 2 min read

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in February 2026 (file photo)

International

Brazil votes today: Lula's lead over Flávio Bolsonaro narrows as runoff looks unavoidable

Brazilians vote on Sunday in the first round of the presidential election, with incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva leading Senator Flávio Bolsonaro — but every major poll points to an October 25 runoff too close to call. A row over the judiciary's role in scrapping the final Globo TV debate has...

4 October 2026 · 2 min read

The Supreme Federal Court building in Brasília, Brazil

International

'Brother, I am with you': Banco Master scandal engulfs both camps as Brazil votes on Sunday

Two days before Brazil's election, the Banco Master fraud has engulfed both camps: documents tie frontrunner Flávio Bolsonaro to $12M in banker funds for a family biopic, while a police report links Justice Moraes to the banker's circle. Dead-heat polls; an October 25 runoff looks certain.

2 October 2026 · 2 min read