Brazil’s elections are heading into a second round, pitting leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva against far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro.
With almost all votes counted, Lula had won 48% to Bolsonaro’s 43% – a much closer result than opinion polls suggested.
But Lula fell short of the more than 50% of valid votes needed to prevent a runoff.
Voters now have four weeks to decide which of the two should lead Brazil.
Winning outright in the first round was always a tall order for any candidate – the last time it happened was 24 years ago.
But President Bolsonaro and Lula had given their supporters hope that they could achieve just that.
Although both candidates can and will claim it as a win.
For Lula — who could not run in the 2018 election because he was in prison after being convicted on corruption charges — it signals a spectacular comeback.
And President Bolsonaro, who opinion polls had shown trailing Lula, will be rejoicing in the fact that he proved pollsters wrong, as they had predicted.
This is a play that has been going on for years. The two men are bitter rivals and spent much of the campaign trading insults.
In the final TV debate before the vote, President Bolsonaro called Lula a thief, referring to corruption charges that landed him in jail for 580 days before the conviction was overturned.
Lula, in turn, has called Mr. Bolsonaro crazy.
Not surprisingly, this tension has spilled over into the streets. During the nights leading up to the vote, neighbors here in Rio could be heard shouting “Lola is a thief” and “Out with Bolsonaro” at each other.
Because the two candidates are such polar opposites, a lot is at stake.
Lula says he will strengthen measures to protect the Amazon rainforest, while Mr Bolsonaro has argued that parts of the rainforest should be opened up for economic exploitation.
Deforestation and forest fires have increased during President Bolsonaro’s time in office. Climate activists have warned that the area could reach a tipping point if he is re-elected.
Critics point out that Lula’s environmental record during his time in office – he ruled Brazil from 2003 to 2010 – was far from perfect.
But with Mr Bolsonaro counting for votes and support on the agricultural sector and agribusiness, it is Lula who is the preferred choice of climate activists.
But Brazilian voters have many other pressing concerns, such as rising food prices, which have led to an increase in poverty and hunger.
Many voters also cited education and high levels of inequality in Brazil as things they want the new president to address.
However, much of the campaign was overshadowed by concerns that Mr Bolsonaro might not accept defeat after he said “only God” could remove him from office.
He also cast doubt on Brazil’s electronic voting system, alleging – without providing any evidence – that it was open to fraud.
With the result far more favorable to them than predicted, they will now focus more on how to sway voters who voted for one of the other nine candidates who were eliminated in the first round. were gone
Lula, who seems to thrive on overcoming obstacles, has already declared that “the war will continue until the final victory, that is our motto”.
