Tensions have been building for months as Brazil heads for an electoral showdown that will have major implications for the country and for the world. Leftist national hero and former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is currently leading in the polls in the race to unseat current far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, but the outcome is all but assured, and fears are mounting that the dark, increasingly fascistic forces Bolsonaro has unleashed in recent years will take extreme January 6-style measures to retain power if Lula wins the presidential election in October. Brazil’s national elections will take place on Oct. 2, 2022. If either candidate secures over 50% of the popular vote on Oct. 2, they will be declared the winner. However, if neither candidate crosses the 50% threshold, a second round of elections will be held at the end of October.

The essential context for Brazil’s contemporary political scene has been covered extensively by the The Real News through the limited podcast series Brazil on Fire, hosted by journalist Michael Fox and co-produced by NACLA. For a special look at Brazil’s landscape ahead of Sunday’s elections, TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez sits down with Michael Fox for a final look at this pivotal moment in Brazil’s history, and what’s at stake for the wider world.

Listen to Brazil on Fire: https://therealnews.com/brazil-on-fire

Studio/Post-Production: Adam Coley

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