Deeply divided, Brazilians overseas be part of lengthy queues to vote in tense presidential runoff By Reuters

By Catarina Demony and Miguel Pereira

LISBON (Reuters) – Brazilian Ieda Ferreira awakened on the first light to affix a protracted queue in Portugal’s capital Lisbon, her residence for the previous 5 years, to vote in her nation’s presidential runoff. Brazil, she stated, was extra divided than ever.

“Brazil has change into very polarised,” stated the 46-year-old, who wore all pink, the color of Brazil’s leftist Employees Get together led by former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. “The federal government in energy … preaches hate and violence.”

Ferreira is considered one of tens of hundreds in Lisbon, town with the most important variety of Brazilian voters exterior the South American nation, queuing to forged their ballots in a tense race between Lula and Jair Bolsonaro.

Practically 81,000 Brazilians in Portugal are eligible to vote, with greater than half registered in Lisbon, in accordance with consulate information. Movies on social media additionally confirmed lengthy queues in London, Paris and Madrid.

The queue to vote in Lisbon snaked across the metropolis’s legislation college, with divisions between voters on show.

Some wore t-shirts with Lula’s title and face on it whereas others wore Brazil’s yellow and inexperienced soccer jersey, which has change into a logo of these backing Bolsonaro.

Antonio Coelho, 80, wore a inexperienced shirt and a yellow vest and stated though he believed the outcome could be “very tight”, Bolsonaro would nonetheless win.

“It is necessary for him (Bolsonaro) to win as a result of we do not need an individual who robbed the entire nation, like Lula, as president,” Coelho stated.

Lula was jailed in 2018 for 19 months on bribery convictions that the Supreme Courtroom overturned final yr.

A number of polls confirmed the race between them tightening within the remaining week, with Bolsonaro eroding a slight lead for Lula. Others present a small however regular benefit for Lula.

One other Bolsonaro supporter, 65-year-old dentist Waldir Rodrigues, stated the far-right candidate “represented the most effective of Brazil”.

However whereas for some Bolsonaro is the one choice, his previous racist and homophobic remarks had been additionally the rationale why others have left Brazil since he was elected.

“I did not need to stay in a rustic dominated by Bolsonaro,” stated 38-year-old Gabriel Freitas as he held a rainbow flag. “I am homosexual. I used to be in Rio (de Janeiro), it was harmful and I made a decision it was higher to not keep.

“I do not need to return… however my dad remains to be there and I need individuals in Brazil to stay in love, not hate.”