With 99% of ballots officially counted in Brazil's presidential election, right-wing candidate Flavio Bolsonaro leads incumbent President Lula da Silva 47% to 45%. Since neither candidate reached the 50% threshold, the race will be decided in a second round on October 25.
With 99% of ballots officially counted, the first round of Brazil's presidential election has concluded with right-wing candidate Flavio Bolsonaro at 47% and incumbent President Lula at 45%, confirming that neither reached the 50%+1 threshold. A runoff is now set for October 25.
Earlier overnight, when 47% of votes were tallied, The Zioneer reported Bolsonaro leading with 50.2% to Lula's 41.63% (article published at 01:11 Jerusalem). As more votes were counted, the gap narrowed. By 05:32 Monday, The Zioneer reported the 47-45 split and confirmed the runoff.
Bolsonaro, a pro-Israel right-wing candidate and son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, has made restoring Brazil's diplomatic ties with Israel and moving the embassy to Jerusalem central to his campaign, as The Zioneer has reported previously. The October 25 runoff will decide the leadership of South America's largest economy, with significant implications for Israel's international standing.
5 developments
- StrongLula expresses disappointment, Bolsonaro says 'Brazil wants change' after first round
- DevelopingNew Brazil poll shows Flavio Bolsonaro closing gap to tie with Lula ahead of October election
- DevelopingFlavio Bolsonaro vows to expand Brazil-Israel ties in interview
- StrongMassive pro-Bolsonaro crowds take to streets on Brazil election day
Source and signal
- Open-source intake