Flavio Bolsonaro opens Brazil bid as Lula leads 48%-43% poll
Why it matters: Javier Milei backed the launch in Sao Paulo, but center-right parties have stayed neutral ahead of October's vote.
Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro formally opened his presidential campaign in Sao Paulo on Saturday, casting himself as the heir to former President Jair Bolsonaro and promising tax cuts and a harder line on crime. The launch featured Argentine President Javier Milei in person, a video message from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and an AI-generated message from Jair Bolsonaro, who is under house arrest over his role in an attempt to overturn Lula's election victory. A Datafolha poll released Friday showed President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva ahead 48% to 43% in a runoff. Flavio Bolsonaro has also struggled to lock down alliances, with center-right parties opting to remain neutral.