On the day before Brazil's presidential runoff election, a large crowd of supporters for left-wing candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva gathered on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. The rally was intended to energize voters ahead of a contest that polls suggest is highly competitive. Nearly 159 million Brazilians are eligible to vote in Sunday's election, which follows an initial round of voting on October 4 where incumbent president Jair Bolsonaro secured 47% of the vote compared to Lula’s 45%.

The event was characterized by a high turnout of supporters wearing red, the color associated with Lula’s Workers' Party. The rally serves as a final push in a campaign that has seen both candidates vying for a decisive victory. While the atmosphere at the beach was described as a demonstration of support for a potential political comeback, the election remains statistically close. The outcome will determine the leadership of Latin America's largest economy, with both campaigns focusing heavily on mobilizing their respective bases in these final hours. The Guardian reports that the rally is part of a broader effort to secure an unprecedented political return for the former president.