'A real Christian votes for Lula!' a backer of the ex-president shouts at a voter for far-right President Jair Bolsonaro at a Catholic church in Ri...
People pray at Nossa Senhora de Copacabana church, in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on October 30, 2022, during the presidential run-off election"A real Christian votes for Lula!" a backer of the ex-president shouts at a voter for far-right President Jair Bolsonaro at a Catholic church in Rio de Janeiro, also serving as a polling station.
"Lula has made a pact with the devil! Bolsonaro was sent by God to save us," retorts De Souza, who is wearing a bright yellow and green shirt, the colors of the flag of Brazil that many believe has been hijacked by the president's supporters.The 69-year-old retiree is also a staunch Catholic and believes the election is a"battle between good and evil," an argument put forth by First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro, a devoted evangelical.
Both parties boosted efforts to win votes among these groups in the campaign ahead of Sunday's run-off.A woman leaves Nossa Senhora de Copacabana church, in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on October 30, 2022, during the presidential run-off electionReligion and traditional values have become a battleground, with Bolsonaro accusing Lula of seeking to shut churches and allow abortion, a sensitive question in the conservative country.
"I have never heard Lula mention the word of God. He only brings it up now that he is on the campaign trail," said the green-eyed doorman of an apartment building in Rio. "I am against abortion. I vote for the person defending family: the 'Legend,'" said 67-year-old Magali Zimmermann, using a nickname for Bolsonaro."I love Copacabana, but I am scared to go out in the street because of thieves," said the resident of the well-off, touristy area which is home to many retirees.- God of the Left? -