It was going to be a party, or at least that was the plan, and even as we drove past the thousands of Lula supporters who had invaded a square in downtown Rio de Janeiro, we could hear the cheers and shouts bars and cafes overflowing with people – and staff struggling to serve food and beer.
Election programs on television broadcast the latest results in the street party, each victory of their man was greeted with cheers and chants.
But slowly at first they began to realize that the right-wing vote was holding up better than expected.
Polls suggested President Jair Bolsonaro was more than 14 points behind his leftist rival – that’s not how it turned out.
Celebrations here have been suspended.
The consensus is now that the fight must continue for another round at the end of the month.
We met Thayane Massopust, 25, standing outside a cafe, staring nervously at the TV screen.
“I think, in my opinion, if Lula goes to the second round with Bolsonaro, we will win, I’m not afraid of the second round,” she told me.
Another supporter, Bernardo Costa, was a little more concerned, however, saying it had suddenly become much more unpredictable and Bolsonaro supporters might feel like they have momentum because he did better than expected.
“Yesterday we saw Lula win the first round, and now we are a bit worried about it, that there will be a second round.”
Julia Borges, 23, appeared more optimistic about the outcome.
“Oh, it’s very disappointing, but I still think we have a chance. It’s always been like that, there’s a history of going to the second round in these kinds of elections,” he told me. -she says.
“I think we don’t need to give up hope yet. The second round I think is going to be positive for Lula, so maybe we just have to wait a bit longer.”
For Lilian Lobato, gathered in the square near a bookseller with her friends, she does not even want to think about the other four years of Bolsonaro.
“We need change, 100%, it’s just completely hopeless. I don’t know what we’ll do if Bolsonaro wins again, it’s like the worst case scenario…”
Lilian Lobato
President Bolsonaro has benefited from the surprisingly weak performances of lesser-known presidential candidates.
He remains very present in the fight. Rio is one of the key centers in this election, and winning here is vital.
It’s a party town, sure, but not as liberal as you might think when you look closer.
More than 30% of Brazilians are evangelists, and most vote for Bolsonaro, which means he has an integrated constituency, which is a considerable starting point.
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He can almost guarantee that they will come back.
“Today the leftist agenda has attracted an enormity of values that go against biblical values, against church values,” Pastor Pedro Correa explained to me before the service began at the church. Baptist Church in Rio de Janeiro.
“The family, gender ideology, abortion, are non-negotiable values for the Church. This is why President Bolsonaro has the sympathy of the evangelical people for the absolute values he defends from the Bible “, did he declare.
More than 115 million people voted in this first round, and it is crucial for the two candidates before the second round to convince undecided voters.
They are the ones who could turn things around.
“I don’t like either of them because I don’t like Bolsonaro, because what he represents for the country is very bad, because he’s homophobic, he doesn’t like women. and all,” Roberta Malburg told me as she lined up to vote.
“But Lula was also arrested, and I don’t like him either. So it’s the choice.”
People made an L with their fingers for Lula
Lula was charged with corruption in 2018, a conviction that was later overturned by the Supreme Court and widely seen as politically motivated.
The two favorites will start the week knowing they will have to campaign to get the vote again at the end of the month.
The divisions in this country have been laid bare again.
And there is no indication that the coming weeks will be anything but brutal.
