As Brazilians vote in the first round of country’s most polarised election in decades, former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is favored to beat right-wing incumbent Jair Bolsonaro. In a Donald Trump like fashion, Jair Bolsonaro has refused to accept defeat in the elections which has stoked fears in the country of an institutional crisis if Bolsonaro loses.
Ahead of the elections, Jair Bolsonaro- also known as the Trump of the Tropics- received and overwhelming endorsement from former US president Donald Trump.
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“Jair Bolsonaro has my Complete and Total Endorsement. He will never let you down” (sic), Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
Earlier, Jair Bolsonaro threatened to contest the result of the vote, making allegations of fraud and accusing Brazil’s electoral authorities of plotting against him.
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Bolsonaro’s critics say that his attacks on the elections could spur social unrest in the country like the US Capitol riots in 2021 by supporters of Donald Trump.
Brazilians are also voting for all 513 members of the lower chamber of congress, a third of the 81 members of the senate and state governors and legislatures.
