Brazilian Catholics analyze the political landscape in light of faith as the presidential runoff approaches

Brazilian Catholics are evaluating the political landscape ahead of the presidential runoff scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 25. The election features incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the Workers’ Party against Flávio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party, the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro.

The runoff follows a first round on Oct. 4 that showed deep political polarization. In that vote, Bolsonaro received 47.1% of valid votes, while Lula da Silva received 40.5%. Following a debate between the candidates on Oct. 18, recent Datafolha polling shows a statistical tie, with 47% of voters favoring Bolsonaro and 45% favoring Lula da Silva.

Marcelo Musa Cavallari, editor-in-chief of ACI Digital, noted that the quality of the debate was low because both candidates focused on accusing one another of corruption rather than discussing national development. During the encounter, the candidates exchanged mutual accusations regarding corruption cases involving Lula da Silva and the inner circle of the Bolsonaro family.