Rio De Janeiro: Voting is underway on Sunday in Brazil's polarising presidential election between incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his right-wing opponent Flávio Bolsonaro. The results of the contest will determine whether the US will significantly expand its growing influence in Latin America.
Polls before Sunday's vote showed the two candidates, who need more than 50 per cent of the vote to become Brazil's next leader in January, in a neck-and-neck race. The election pits the left-of-centre veteran politician Lula against Bolsonaro, an ally of US President Donald Trump and the son of imprisoned former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Flávio Bolsonaro bested Lula by more than 2.2 million votes in the first round of the election earlier this month. More than 33 million voters out of nearly 160 million did not turn out.
The difference between the two candidates is stark. Bolsonaro and Lula have opposing ideological views on issues ranging from US-Brazil relations and climate change to social welfare.
A win for Bolsonaro would signify a pivot to the right by Latin America's most populous country and its largest economy in a year when Trump allies have notched victories in Chile, Peru and Colombia.
A victory for Lula would leave Brazil and Mexico, which is the region's second most populous country and led by President Claudia Sheinbaum, with left-of-centre leaders.
In many ways, Brazil's runoff vote resembles a rematch between the country's two polarized political forces that trigger passion as much as loathing. Four years ago, Lula beat Bolsonaro's father by the narrowest margin since the country's return to democracy in 1985. Polls suggest that this election will be even closer.
Voting in Brazil is conducted electronically and the result is usually available within hours after polling stations close at 5 pm Brasilia time (20:00 GMT).
As per a report by Reuters, both Lula and Bolsonaro have cast their votes for the ongoing presidential election.
Lula, who first governed the country between 2003 and 2010, has faced a tough re-election battle because of concerns about the cost of living and security. Flávio Bolsonaro made a tough-on-crime approach the cornerstone of his campaign and pledged to bring down food costs.
Both have been hit by corruption suspicions involving family members and allies, with Bolsonaro implicated in a sprawling scandal rocking Brazil. Lula spent more than a year in prison on corruption convictions that were eventually annulled.
Bolsonaro's admission that he accepted about $12 million from disgraced former banker Daniel Vorcaro to produce a film on his father's life has cast a shadow over his campaign. He is under investigation for corruption, money laundering and tax evasion in connection with the case.
In the lead-up to the vote, Lula frequently portrayed Bolsonaro, whose father is under house arrest for attempting a coup, as a threat to democracy. Bolsonaro has promised to seek an amnesty for his father if elected.
The next president will name at least three Supreme Court justices out of 11 in his next term due to upcoming retirements. Bolsonaro has long taken aim at the country's top court — which has been rocked by a corruption scandal — and promised to push for judiciary reform.
Lula, trying to lure undecided voters, has invested in costly incentives since he lost the first round of voting. His government's most recent moves have been endorsing a debt relief program for small businesses and promising free public transportation on weekends. A win for the incumbent came with the Senate's approval of the six-day working week — a popular proposal backed by the government.
The result of Brazil's presidential runoff could reshape the country's role on the world stage, as two candidates hold different views on development of relations, said a Brazilian expert in an interview with the China Global Television Network.
Analysts say that another Lula presidency would see Brazil continue to pursue diverse foreign ties and trade partners, while a Bolsonaro victory would likely reshape the country's global relations.
"Internationally, if the more radical right wins, we are likely to see much closer alignment with the United States. That could have implications for Brazil's place in the so-called Global South," said Paul Velasco, a professor in international relations at Rio de Janeiro State University.
(With inputs from AP via PTI & Reuters)