On Sunday, Brazilians will head to the polls for the first round of the 2026 general elections. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva faces a major challenge from a right-wing candidate, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro.
US President Donald Trump will be watching the outcome closely. In the wake of Lula’s return to power in 2023, his administration has used overt economic and political pressure to try to influence Brazil’s domestic affairs.