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5 min readBrazil’s first-round election results were a shock. Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of the imprisoned former president Jair Bolsonaro, won more votes than the incumbent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The race now goes to a runoff, but the momentum has decisively shifted to the right. The Economist’s Brazil bureau chief, Ana Lankes, was in Rio de Janeiro on election night and described the mood among Lula supporters as “like a funeral.” One young voter told her the main sentiment was desânimo—discouragement. The surprise was not just that Bolsonaro did well, but that he did far better than polls had predicted, turning what was supposed to be a tight race into a clear victory for Bolsonarismo.
How the Bolsonaro clan staged a comeback
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What you'll learn
- 1 (01:56) **Brazil’s Election Shock: Bolsonaro’s Son Takes the Lead** - The populist right challenger Flavio Bolsonaro got the most votes, defying expectations and setting up a tense runoff.
- 2 (05:55) **Flavio’s Main Policy: Pardon His Father** - The challenger’s signature proposal is to pardon the imprisoned former president and impeach the Supreme Court justices who convicted him.
- 3 (06:39) **Why Flavio Is Favored to Win the Runoff** - Historical precedent and a rightward shift in the electorate give Bolsonaro a strong advantage.
- 4 (07:21) **Lula’s Slim Path to Victory** - The incumbent’s only hope is to dramatically increase voter turnout.
- 5 (09:06) **A Continent-Wide Rightward Shift** - A Bolsonaro win would cement a right-wing trend across Latin America and align Brazil with the MAGA movement.
- 6 (13:35) **The Backlash Against AI License Plate Readers** - Automatic license plate readers, especially from the company Flock, are sparking protests from Americans who feel their movements are being tracked.
- 7 (15:52) **Why the Backlash Is Escalating Now** - The rapid scaling of Flock’s network and visible cases of misuse are driving the outcry.
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Show Notes
Flávio Bolsonaro, populist-right son of the imprisoned coup architect Jair, received the most votes in the presidential first round. We ask why Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the incumbent, fell behind—and what is at stake when they go head-to-head. We examine Americans’ growing anger at automatic number-plate-reading cameras. And the demanding but lucrative business of nannying the children of the super-rich.
Guests and host:
- Ana Lankes, Brazil bureau chief
- Hollie Berman, news editor
- Alice Fulwood, US business editor
- Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
- Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”
Topics covered:
- Brazilian election, Lula, Bolsonaro, populist-right politics
- Flock cameras, American law enforcement, privacy, surveillance
- childcare, plutocrats
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