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World

Biden and Xi to meet ahead of G20

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NUSA DUA, Indonesia, Nov 14 (Reuters) – Chinese leader Xi Jinping will arrive on the Indonesian island of Bali on Monday for a long-awaited meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, ahead of a Group of 20 (G20) summit set to be fraught with tension over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The two leaders are expected to discuss Taiwan, Ukraine and North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, issues that will also loom over the G20 that opens on Tuesday without Russian President Vladimir Putin in attendance.

Billionaire Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) and Twitter Inc, addressed a business forum that is part of the summit and said he had “too much work” on his plate.

Speaking by videolink, he appeared lit by candles, wearing a batik shirt sent by the organisers. He said he was speaking from a place that had just lost power.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will represent the Russian president at the G20 summit – the first since Russia invaded Ukraine in February – after the Kremlin said Putin was too busy to attend.

On the eve of Monday’s meeting with Xi, Biden told Asian leaders in Cambodia that U.S. communication lines with China would stay open to prevent conflict, with tough talks almost certain in the days ahead.

The United States would “compete vigorously” with China while “ensuring competition does not veer into conflict”, said Biden, stressing the importance of peace in the Taiwan Strait during an address to the East Asia Summit in Cambodia. He arrived in Bali on Sunday night.

Relations between the superpowers have sunk to their lowest in decades, marred by growing tensions in recent years over a host of issues ranging from Hong Kong and Taiwan to the South China Sea, trade practices and U.S. restrictions on Chinese technology.

But U.S. officials said there have been quiet efforts by both Beijing and Washington over the past two months to repair ties.

“These meetings do not take place in isolation, they are part of a very sustained process,” said one Biden administration official. “We have engaged in serious, sustained – dozens and dozens of hours – of quiet diplomacy behind the scenes.

“I think we are satisfied with the seriousness that both sides have brought to that process.”

Biden and Xi, who have held five phone or video calls since Biden became president in January 2021, last met in person during the Obama administration when Biden was vice president.

Monday’s face-to-face meeting will be at The Mulia, a luxury beachside hotel on Nusa Dua bay in Bali. It is unlikely to produce a joint statement, the White House has said, but it could help stabilise the bilateral relationship.

Both leaders will attend the opening of the G20 summit on Tuesday.

‘SOME DISCOMFORT’

One of the main topics at the G20 will be Russia’s war in Ukraine and Biden will be “unapologetic” in his defence of the European nation, U.S. officials said last week.

Xi and Putin have grown increasingly close in recent years, bound by their shared distrust of the West, and reaffirmed their partnership just days before Russia invaded Ukraine. But China has been careful not to provide any direct material support that could trigger Western sanctions against it.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang emphasised the “irresponsibility” of nuclear threats during the summit in Cambodia, suggesting China was uncomfortable with strategic partner Russia’s nuclear rhetoric, the Biden administration official said.

The West has accused Russia of making irresponsible statements on the possible use of nuclear weapons since its February invasion of Ukraine. Russia has in turn accused the West of “provocative” nuclear rhetoric.

“There have been areas where China and Russia have worked together to deepen and broaden their relationship economically,” said the U.S. official. “But on some of these big issues, I think there is undeniably some discomfort in Beijing about what we’ve seen in terms of reckless rhetoric and activity on the part of Russia.”

Russia’s Lavrov said on Sunday the West was “militarising” Southeast Asia in a bid to contain Russian and Chinese interests, setting the stage for more confrontation with Western leaders at the G20.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said he will address the G20 gathering by videolink on Tuesday.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to meet Lavrov at the summit, a Downing Street spokesperson said in a statement. He is also likely to hold a bilateral meeting with Biden.

The G20 bloc, which includes a broad array of countries ranging from Brazil to India and Germany, accounts for more than 80% of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) and 60% of its population.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is due to join Indonesian President Joko Widodo to address the parallel B20 business forum taking place on Monday ahead of the G20 summit.

Reporting by Nandita Bose, Fransiska Nangoy, Leika Kihara and Simon Lewis in Nusa Dua; Writing by Kay Johnson and Raju Gopalakrishnan; Editing by Ed Davies and Robert Birsel

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Brazil’s Bolsonaro avoids concession to Lula, but transition to begin

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BRASILIA/SAO PAULO, Nov 1 (Reuters) – Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday avoided conceding defeat in his first public remarks since losing Sunday’s election, saying protests since then were the fruit of “indignation and a sense of injustice” over the vote.

His chief of staff, Ciro Nogueira, speaking after Bolsonaro’s brief public address, said Bolsonaro had authorized him to begin the transition process with representatives of leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

It took Bolsonaro more than 44 hours to make his first public remarks since the election was decided by electoral authorities, making him the first Brazilian president to lose a re-election bid. He has still not spoken with Lula.

Amid his silence, supporters blocked highways to protest his defeat, with some calling for a military coup to stop former President Lula from returning to power. Bolsonaro’s delay in recognizing Lula’s election raised fear that he would contest the narrow result of the election.

In a national address on Tuesday that lasted just a few minutes, Bolsonaro thanked Brazilians who voted for him and reiterated that he would follow the country’s constitution, which stipulates a transition of power on Jan. 1.

He referred to the demonstrations as a “popular movement” and said they should avoid destroying property or “impeding the right to come and go.”

[1/13] Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro gives a press statement at the Alvorada Palace in Brasilia, Brazil November 1, 2022. REUTERS/Adriano Machado

That may not be enough to defuse the protests across Brazil by small groups of his supporters, which have begun to cause economic disruptions draw calls from farm and retail groups for Bolsonaro to begin a transition.

Close political allies, including his chief of staff and Vice President Hamilton Mourao, have begun to make contact with the Lula camp to discuss a transition. Others, including the speaker of the lower house of Congress, called on the Bolsonaro government to respect the election result.

The powerful agricultural lobby CNA, representing farmers who were important campaign donors for Bolsonaro, said it was ready for conversations with the incoming government, which will take office on Jan. 1.

Before Sunday’s vote, Bolsonaro repeatedly made baseless claims the electoral system was open to fraud and accused electoral authorities of favoring his leftist adversary.

Lula’s victory represents a stunning comeback for the 77-year-old former metalworker, spent 19 months in jail for corruption convictions before they were annulled last year.

Lula has vowed to overturn many of Bolsonaro’s policies, including pro-gun measures and weak protection of the Amazon rainforest.

Reporting by Ricardo Brito, Marcela Ayres and Anthony Boadle in Brasilia, Brian Ellsworth, Nayara Figuereido and Gabriel Araujo in Sao Paulo; Editing by Brad Haynes, Paul Simao and Alistair Bell

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World

Lula wins Brazil election in political resurrection for leftist

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SAO PAULO/BRASILIA, Oct 31 (Reuters) – Brazilian leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva narrowly defeated President Jair Bolsonaro in a runoff election, but the far right incumbent had not conceded defeat by Monday morning, raising concerns he might contest the result.

Tens of thousands of jubilant supporters took to the streets of Sao Paulo to celebrate a stunning comeback for the 77-year-old former metalworker who, following his previous two-term 2003-2010 presidency, served prison time for corruption convictions that were later annulled.

Bolsonaro is the first Brazilian incumbent to lose a presidential election and Lula has vowed to overturn his legacy, including pro-gun policies and weak protection of the Amazon rainforest.

Pitching the contest as a battle for democracy after his rival made baseless claims the electoral system was open to fraud, Lula called the election a sign Brazilians “want more and not less democracy,” in a victory speech that celebrated what he called his “resurrection.” He promised to unite a deeply divided country.

“I will govern for 215 million Brazilians, and not just for those who voted for me,” Lula said at his campaign headquarters. “There are not two Brazils. We are one country, one people, one great nation.”

The Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) declared Lula won 50.9% of votes, against 49.1% for Bolsonaro. Lula’s inauguration is scheduled for Jan. 1.

Brazil Election Lula wins Brazilian election

The result in Latin America’s largest nation means the left will govern all the region’s major economies after a string of electoral successes from Mexico to Argentina in recent years.

A source in the Bolsonaro campaign told Reuters the president would not make public remarks until Monday. The Bolsonaro campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

“So far, Bolsonaro has not called me to recognize my victory, and I don’t know if he will call or if he will recognize my victory,” Lula told supporters on Sao Paulo’s Paulista Avenue.

In contrast to Bolsonaro’s silence, congratulations for Lula poured in from foreign leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron.

[1/6] Brazil’s former President and presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva reacts at an election night gathering on the day of the Brazilian presidential election run-off, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, October 30, 2022. REUTERS/Mariana Grei

Biden congratulated Lula for winning “free, fair and credible elections,” joining the chorus of compliments from European and Latin American leaders.

Markets braced for a volatile week ahead, with Brazil’s real currency and international listings of Brazilian stocks falling as investors gauged speculation about Lula’s cabinet and the risk of Bolsonaro questioning results.

One close Bolsonaro ally, lawmaker Carla Zambelli, in an apparent nod to the results, wrote on Twitter, “I PROMISE you, I will be the greatest opposition that Lula has ever imagined.”

The vote was a rebuke for the fiery far-right populism of Bolsonaro, who emerged from the back benches of Congress to forge a conservative coalition but lost support as Brazil ran up one of the worst death tolls of the coronavirus pandemic.

International election observers said Sunday’s election was conducted efficiently. One observer told Reuters that military auditors did not find any flaws in integrity tests they did of the voting system.

Truck drivers believed to be Bolsonaro supporters on Sunday blocked a highway in four places in the state of Mato Grosso, a major grains producer, according to the highway operator.

In one video circulating online, a man said truckers planned to block main highways, calling for a military coup to prevent Lula from taking office.

PINK TIDE RISING

Lula’s win consolidates a new “pink tide” in Latin America, after landmark leftist victories in Colombia and Chile’s elections, echoing a regional political shift two decades ago that introduced Lula to the world stage.

He has vowed a return to state-driven economic growth and social policies that helped lift millions out of poverty during two terms as president from 2003 to 2010. He also promises to combat destruction of the Amazon rainforest, now at a 15-year high, and make Brazil a leader in global climate talks.

“These were four years of hatred, of negation of science,” Ana Valeria Doria, 60, a doctor in Rio de Janeiro who celebrated with a drink. “It won’t be easy for Lula to manage the division in this country. But for now it’s pure happiness.”
A former union leader born into poverty, Lula’s two-term presidency was marked by a commodity-driven economic boom and he left office with record popularity.

However, his Workers Party was later tarred by a deep recession and a record-breaking corruption scandal that jailed him for 19 months on bribery convictions, which were overturned by the Supreme Court last year.

Reporting by Anthony Boadle and Ricardo Brito in Brasilia, Brian Ellsworth and Lisandra Paraguassu in Sao Paulo; Writing by Frank Jack Daniel, Editing by Brad Haynes, Lincoln Feast, Nick Macfie and Angus MacSwan

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World

Lula narrowly defeats Bolsonaro to win Brazil presidency again

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SAO PAULO, Oct 30 (Reuters) – Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva narrowly defeated President Jair Bolsonaro in a runoff election on Sunday that marked a stunning comeback for the leftist former president and the end of Brazil’s most right-wing government in decades.

Brazil’s Supreme Electoral Court declared Lula the next president, with 50.9% of votes versus 49.1% for Bolsonaro. The 77-year-old Lula’s inauguration is scheduled for Jan. 1.

The vote was a rebuke for the fiery far-right populism of Bolsonaro, who emerged from the back benches of Congress to forge a novel conservative coalition but lost support as Brazil ran up one of the worst death tolls of the coronavirus pandemic.

Bolsonaro remained silent on Sunday night after the results were announced and some of his allies publicly acknowledged his defeat, defying expectations that he might immediately challenge the narrow result after making baseless claims of fraud in previous elections.

Bolsonaro did not make a call to Lula, according to campaign advisers.

Lula said in a speech he would unite a divided country and ensure that Brazilians “put down arms that never should have been taken up,” while inviting international cooperation to preserve the Amazon rainforest and make global trade more fair.

“I will govern for 215 million Brazilians, and not just for those who voted for me,” Lula said at his campaign headquarters. “There are not two Brazils. We are one country, one people, one great nation.”

Lula arrived at a rally in Sao Paulo shortly after 8:00 p.m. (1100 GMT), waving from the sunroof of a car. Ecstatic supporters near Paulista Avenue waited for him, chanting slogans and drinking champagne.

Vice President-elect Geraldo Alckmin and campaign aides jumped up and down chanting, “It’s time Jair, it’s time to leave already,” in a video circulating on social media.

OPPOSITION

Last year, Bolsonaro, 67, openly discussed refusing to accept the results of the vote.

[1/16] Brazil’s former President and presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks at an election night gathering on the day of the Brazilian presidential election run-off, in Sao Paulo, Brazil October 30, 2022. REUTERS/Carla Carniel

A senior Bolsonaro campaign aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he would not make a speech on Sunday. The Bolsonaro campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

One close Bolsonaro ally, lawmaker Carla Zambelli, in an apparent nod to Lula’s victory wrote on Twitter, “I PROMISE you, I will be the greatest opposition that Lula has ever imagined.”

Electoral authorities are bracing for him to dispute the outcome, sources told Reuters, and made security preparations in case his supporters stage protests.

U.S. President Joe Biden congratulated Lula for winning “free, fair and credible elections,” joining a chorus of compliments from European and Latin American leaders.

His victory consolidates a new “pink tide” in Latin America, after landmark leftist victories in Colombia and Chile’s elections, echoing a regional political shift two decades ago that introduced Lula to the world stage.

Lula has vowed a return to state-driven economic growth and social policies that helped lift millions out of poverty when he was previously president from 2003 to 2010. He also promises to combat destruction of the Amazon rainforest, now at a 15-year high, and make Brazil a leader in global climate talks.

“These were four years of hatred, of negation of science,” Ana Valeria Doria, 60, a doctor in Rio de Janeiro who celebrated with a drink. “It won’t be easy for Lula to manage the division in this country. But for now it’s pure happiness.”

A former union leader born into poverty, Lula organized strikes against Brazil’s military government in the 1970s. His two-term presidency was marked by a commodity-driven economic boom and he left office with record popularity.

However, his Workers Party was later tarred by a deep recession and a record-breaking corruption scandal that jailed him for 19 months on bribery convictions, which were overturned by the Supreme Court last year.

In his third term, Lula will confront a sluggish economy, tighter budget constraints and a more hostile legislature.

Bolsonaro’s allies form the largest bloc in Congress after this month’s general election and won the races for governor in Brazil’s three most economically powerful states, highlighting the enduring strength of his conservative coalition.

Reporting by Brian Ellsworth and Lisandra Paraguassu in Sao Paulo, Anthony Boadle and Ricardo Brito in Brasilia, Gabriel Stargardter in Rio de Janeiro; Editing by Brad Haynes and Grant McCool

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World

Bolsonaro-Lula presidential race down to the wire in Brazil, polls show

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BRASILIA, Oct 29 (Reuters) – Brazil’s heated presidential race has tightened ahead of a Sunday vote, several opinion surveys showed on Saturday, with right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro eroding a slight advantage for leftist challenger Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in most polls.

Surveys by pollsters Datafolha and Quaest both showed Lula with 52% of valid votes against 48% for Bolsonaro, down from a 6 percentage-point lead three days prior, putting the incumbent in striking distance of a come-from-behind victory.

A survey by pollster MDA showed Lula’s edge slipping to just 2 percentage points, equal to the margin of error for the poll commissioned by transport sector lobby CNT.

Most polls still suggest Lula is the slight favorite to come back for a third term, capping a remarkable political rebound after his jailing on graft convictions that were overturned. But Bolsonaro outperformed opinion polls in the first-round vote on Oct. 2, and many analysts say the election could go either way.

The final opinion surveys by pollsters IPEC and AtlasIntel, however, showed Lula holding a stable and slightly larger lead.

IPEC showed the leftist ahead by 54% to 46% of valid votes, excluding undecided voters and those planning to spoil their ballots. AtlasIntel, among the most accurate pollsters in the first round, showed Lula’s lead holding at 7 percentage points.

Bolsonaro wrapped up his campaign in the key state of Minas Gerais, leading a motorbike rally with supporters. Lula walked with thousands of backers on one of Sao Paulo’s main avenues after telling foreign reporters his rival was not fit to govern.

The deeply polarizing figures also attacked each other’s character and record in their final televised debate on Friday night. Bolsonaro opened the debate by denying reports he might unpeg the minimum wage from inflation, announcing instead he would raise it to 1,400 reais ($260) a month if re-elected, a move that is not in his government’s 2023 budget.

With their campaigns focusing on swaying crucial undecided votes, analysts said the president gained little ground in the debate to win a race that polls had shown roughly stable since Lula led the first-round voting by 5 percentage points.

That result was better for Bolsonaro than most polls had shown, giving him a boost of momentum to start the month, but the past two weeks of the campaign have presented headwinds.

A week ago, one of Bolsonaro’s allies opened fire on federal police officers coming to arrest him.

On Sunday, one of his closest associates, Congresswoman Carla Zambelli, chased a Lula supporter into a Sao Paulo restaurant at gun point after a political argument in the street, videos on social media showed. Zambelli told reporters she knowingly defied an electoral law that bans the carrying of firearms 24 hours before an election.

In their first head-to-head debate this month, Lula blasted Bolsonaro’s handling of a pandemic in which nearly 700,000 Brazilians have died, while Bolsonaro focused on the graft scandals that tarnished the reputation of Lula’s Workers Party.

On Friday night, both candidates returned repeatedly to Lula’s two terms as president from 2003 to 2010, when high commodity prices helped to boost the economy and combat poverty. Lula vowed to revive those boom times, while Bolsonaro suggested current social programs are more effective.

Reporting by Ricardo Brito and Anthony Boadle in Brasilia, Gabriel Stargardter in Rio de Janeiro and Brian Ellsworth in Sao Paulo; Editing by Brad Haynes, Chris Reese and Daniel Wallis

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Brazilian politician surrenders after injuring policemen while resisting arrest

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RIO DE JANEIRO/BRASILIA, Oct 23 (Reuters) – Brazilian politician Roberto Jefferson surrendered early Sunday evening after wounding two policemen while resisting arrest ordered by the country’s Supreme Court.

President Jair Bolsonaro tried to distance himself from his ally posting a video on social media after his arrest, saying someone that fires at policemen should be treated as a criminal.

Two officers were injured by shrapnel of a grenade thrown by the former congressman. Both went to the hospital and were later released, the statement said.

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In a video posted on social media on Sunday morning, the congressman showed an image of federal police officers arriving at his house, and later admitted in another video that he had aimed at the police car but not at the officers.

Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes had ordered Jefferson to be taken to jail after the former congressman and president of PTB political party released a tape offending justice Carmen Lucia, due to decisions she made related to the presidential elections.

In his decision, Moraes said Jefferson did not comply to conditions to his house arrest.

Jefferson was already under investigation for the alleged involvement in producing fake news, and on Friday released statements offending justice Carmen Lucia, who had decided to transfer part of Bolsonaro’s air time to presidential candidate and former President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva after the leftist complained about offenses in the adversary’s political ads.

Two opposition senators, Randolfe Rodrigues and Eliziane Gama had asked the Supreme Court to punish Jefferson for offending Lucia.

Political tension has risen ahead of the presidential election runoff next Sunday. Bolsonaro had previously tweeted a condemnation of Jefferson’s comments on the Justice and his resistance to prison. Lula said the issue should now be solved by the police and blamed Bolsonaro for increasing political violence.

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Reporting by Rodrigo Viga Gaier and Alexandre Caverni, Writing by Tatiana Bautzer; editing by Diane Craft

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Brazil’s top footballers lean toward Bolsonaro in polarized race

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SAO PAULO, Oct 23 (Reuters) – A few days before Brazil’s first round of voting in this month’s general election, a 13-second TikTok video electrified supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro: soccer star Neymar coming out in favor of his re-election bid.

The video posted on Sep. 29 showed Neymar dancing to a campaign jingle highlighting Bolsonaro’s position on the ballot, and the president was quick to share it on social media.

Even as the Paris St Germain forward kept mum on his post apart from lip-syncing the song, the move threw down the gauntlet for other footballers to show their support for the far-right leader, including internationals Thiago Silva and Daniel Alves.

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Without mentioning Bolsonaro by name, they shared posts with some of his catch phrases, including slogans popular with Brazil’s evangelical Christians, who back him overwhelmingly. In a country where evangelical churches have made major inroads in poorer communities, eroding the Catholic majority, many footballers wear their evangelical faith on their sleeve.

“There is this slogan that I love,” Alves said, using a stock Bolsonaro phrase: “Brazil above everything, God above all.”

Bolsonaro lost the first round to his leftist challenger Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva by a tighter-than-expected margin, setting up an Oct. 30 runoff.

The outpouring on social media bolstered the growing anecdotal evidence that many of Brazil’s most prominent soccer players now lean to the right.

Many players favor conservative politicians because of their own life stories, said sports commentator Juca Kfouri, noting that most soccer stars in Brazil come from poor neighborhoods and reach stardom through their own talents.

“So they tend to be self-centered and repeat that authoritarian speech about meritocracy,” said Kfouri, who has endorsed Lula.

Anthropologist Roberto DaMatta also highlighted soccer as an important tool for advancement in Brazil, but added that without deeper research it would be difficult to reach a firm conclusion about players’ political preferences across the board.

“It would be pretty speculative.”

‘WE’RE ON THE SAME SIDE’

Neymar’s video has been watched nearly 60 million times on Bolsonaro’s Instagram account alone.

While sharing it, the president linked his potential victory to the record-extending sixth World Cup title Brazil will pursue this year in Qatar.

Before Neymar, the likes of Tottenham Hotspur’s Lucas Moura and Fluminense’s Felipe Melo had thrown their lot in with Bolsonaro, but the endorsement from the national team’s number 10 triggered an even wider reaction. He was joined by retired players such as 2002 world champion Rivaldo and former Inter Milan goalkeeper Julio Cesar.

“Neymar, we are on the same side again,” Cesar said.

Lula has also gathered a handful of soccer endorsements, but fewer current stars.

Many of his most prominent supporters in the sport are former players linked to Brazil’s 1980s campaign to end military dictatorship, such as former Brazil international Walter Casagrande Junior.

As a union leader at the time, Lula was a thorn in the side of the generals who ruled the country for two decades – a military regime which Bolsonaro has been quick to defend.

“I’m not a radical leftist, I’m just for democracy,” Casagrande told Reuters. “We are living in chaos. The Bolsonaro administration is destroying the country.”

Former Brazil manager Vanderlei Luxemburgo, Lyon icon Juninho Pernambucano and 1994 world champion Rai are also backing Lula. Rai’s older brother, the late soccer star Socrates, marched against the military regime and started a pro-democracy movement alongside Casagrande at the Corinthians club in the 1980s.

Awarding a prize named after Socrates at the Ballon d’Or ceremony on Monday, Rai made an “L” sign with his hand while citing Brazil’s election, a well-known sign of support for Lula.

Among current players, Bayer Leverkusen forward Paulinho and Vizela right-back Igor Juliao were among the few to openly back the former president, who governed from 2003 to 2010.

Top footballers’ embrace of Bolsonaro has jibed with a growing tradition among conservative Brazilians who don the national team’s famous yellow jersey in street demonstrations, as Bolsonaro himself has done occasionally.

Will the players’ political stance affect Brazilians’ support for them in the World Cup?

“I don’t think so,” Kfouri said. “When the matches start, people forget it all”.

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Reporting by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Christian Plumb and Josie Kao

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World

Brazil election enters runoff as Bolsonaro dashes Lula’s hope of quick win

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SAO PAULO/BRASILIA, Oct 3 (Reuters) – The second round of Brazil’s presidential campaign kicked off Monday after right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro outperformed polling and robbed leftist former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of an outright victory in the first round of voting.

The unexpectedly strong showing by Bolsonaro on Sunday dashed hopes for a quick resolution to the deeply polarized election in the world’s fourth-largest democracy.

With 99.9% of electronic votes counted, Lula had taken 48.4% of votes versus 43.2% for Bolsonaro. As neither got a majority of support, the race goes to a runoff vote on Oct. 30.

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The race has proven tighter than most surveys suggested, revitalizing Bolsonaro’s campaign after he insisted that polls could not be trusted. If he pulls off a comeback, it would break with a wave of victories for leftists across the region in recent years, including Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and Chile.

Adding to tensions in Brazil, Bolsonaro has made baseless attacks on the integrity of Brazil’s electronic voting system and suggested he may not concede if he loses. On Sunday night, he sounded confident victory was within reach and avoided criticism of the voting system.

“I plan to make the right political alliances to win this election,” he told journalists, pointing to significant advances his party made in Congress in the general election.

Bolsonaro’s right-wing allies won 19 of the 27 seats up from grabs in the Senate, and initial returns suggested a strong showing for his base in the lower house.

The strong showing for Bolsonaro and his allies, which added to pressure on Lula to tack to the center, led bankers and analysts to expect a boost for Brazilian financial markets on Monday after Sunday’s surprising result.

Lula put an optimistic spin on the result, saying he was looking forward to another month on the campaign trail and the chance to debate Bolsonaro head-to-head.

Inside his campaign, however, there was clear frustration that he had fallen short of the narrow majority forecast in some polls, along with weak results in state races outside of his party’s traditional northeastern stronghold.

“There was a clear movement of votes in the southeast, beyond what the surveys and even the campaign managed to detect,” a campaign source said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Support for distant third- and fourth-place finishers also fell short of recent surveys, suggesting some of their backers may have shifted to Bolsonaro when it came time to vote.

Centrist Senator Simone Tebet, who got 4% of votes, and center-left former lawmaker Ciro Gomes, who got 3%, both said on Sunday night they would announce decisions about endorsements in the coming days.

With the momentum in Bolsonaro’s favor, Lula may need all the help he can get.

“Clearly Bolsonarismo was underestimated,” said Senator Humberto Costa, a compatriot of Lula’s Workers Party.

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Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu in Sao Paulo and Maria Carolina Marcello in Brasilia
Additional repoting by Eduardo Simoes in Sao Paulo and Ricardo Brito in Brasilia
Writing by Anthony Boadle. Editing by Gerry Doyle

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World

U.S. tells Lula it plans to quickly recognize Brazil election winner, sources say

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A man runs past banners with photos of presidential candidates, Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro, Ciro Gomes and former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil September 1, 2022. REUTERS/Pilar Olivares/File Photo

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BRASILIA/RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept 23 (Reuters) – U.S. diplomats have assured Brazil’s leading presidential candidate, leftist former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, that they will swiftly recognize the winner of next month’s election, two sources told Reuters, seeking to avert any attempt to contest a legitimate result or sow chaos after the vote.

With just days to go until the first-round vote on Oct. 2, Lula is ahead in the polls against President Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right populist who has sought to discredit Brazil’s electronic voting system. Critics fear Bolsonaro may follow the example of former U.S. President Donald Trump and refuse to accept an electoral defeat.

One of the sources, who requested anonymity to discuss the confidential talks, said that in a meeting on Wednesday, Lula asked Douglas Koneff, the top U.S. diplomat in Brazil, for a quick U.S. recognition if he does win, either in the first-round vote or in an Oct. 30 runoff.

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Lula was told that Washington plans to immediately recognize the results, regardless of who wins, setting an example for other nations to follow suit and minimize the chance of a contested result, the source added.

Lula foreign policy adviser Celso Amorim heard similar assurances on Thursday when he met with a group of diplomats from Latin America and the Caribbean, the other source said. A third source said many European countries are also planning for swift recognition of Brazil’s election results.

In response to a request for comment, a U.S. State Department spokesperson did not mention the Lula meeting, but said in a statement that get-togethers with presidential candidates “do not imply support for a particular individual, party, or platform.” The spokesperson added that the State Department “trusts in the strength of Brazil’s democratic institutions.”

Still scarred by the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters, the administration of President Joe Biden has grown increasingly concerned with Bolsonaro’s baseless allegations of electoral fraud, sending high-level delegations to Brasilia to urge him to commit to democratic norms.

Reuters reported in may that the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency director last year told senior Brazilian officials that Bolsonaro should stop casting doubt on the voting system.

One of the sources said that in the meeting with Koneff, Lula thanked the United States for having expressed faith in Brazil’s voting system.

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Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu and Gabriel Stargardter
Additional reporting by Anthony Boadle
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IDB directors unanimously recommend firing of Claver-Carone after ethics probe

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Visitors walk past a screen with the logo of Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID) at the Atlapa Convention Center in Panama City March 13, 2013. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso

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WASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) – The Inter-American Development Bank’s board of directors voted unanimously on Thursday to recommend firing President Mauricio Claver-Carone after an independent ethics investigation found misconduct, three sources familiar with the vote said.

The recommendation throws the final decision regarding Latin America’s largest development bank to its senior-most body, the board of governors, which will vote from Friday through Tuesday, one of the sources said.

Claver-Carone did not immediately respond to a phone call or text message seeking comment.

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A U.S. Treasury spokesperson declined to confirm the vote, but said the United States, the bank’s largest shareholder with 30% of its voting shares, supported Claver-Carone’s removal from office and wanted to see “swift resolution” by the governors.

“President Claver-Carone’s refusal to fully cooperate with the investigation, and his creation of a climate of fear of retaliation among staff and borrowing countries, has forfeited the confidence of the bank’s staff and shareholders and necessitates a change in leadership,” the spokesperson said.

Claver-Carone, in a statement in response to the Treasury said, “It’s shameful the U.S. commented to the press before notifying me and that it is not defending two Americans against what is clearly fabricated information.”

The bank’s 14 directors voted after four long days of discussions and an appearance by Claver-Carone, who had been in New York for meetings on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly this week.

Reuters reported on Wednesday that the board was nearing consensus on a vote to fire Claver-Carone.

Termination of Claver-Carone, a nominee of former U.S. President Donald Trump, requires a majority of the total voting power of the governing board. The bank’s three largest shareholders – the United States, Argentina and Brazil – together hold nearly 53% of the voting power. Claver-Carone took office in October 2020.

The governors are expected to approve the recommendation, said one of the sources.

Legal firm Davis Polk told the directors it found evidence to support whistleblower allegations that Claver-Carone had engaged in an intimate relationship with a subordinate and engaged in misconduct that violated the bank’s rules.

Investigators said they had uncovered evidence including a photograph of a hand-written contract on the back of a paper placemat, purportedly written and signed by Claver-Carone and the staffer, which stated, “we deserve absolute happiness” and a clause that stipulated any contract breach would result in “candle wax and a naughty box.”

U.S. officials were particularly concerned by Claver-Carone’s “behavior during the investigation, including his refusal to make available his IDB-issued work phone and other records,” a separate source familiar with the matter said.

They took issue with his “selective and misleading release of confidential information intended to taint the investigation and shape public opinion,” the source said. This had “undermined confidence in Claver-Carone’s trustworthiness and ability to lead a rules-based multilateral development institution,” the source added.

Claver-Carone also denied “direct evidence” that he had been in an undisclosed relationship with an IDB staff member who reported directly to him, and to whom he gave raises totaling more than 45% of base pay in less than one year, the source added.

U.S. officials felt Claver-Carone had created “an environment in which staff feared retaliation, including what appears to be actual retribution against senior and rank-and-file staff who participated fully and honestly in the investigation,” the source said.

U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, had strongly opposed Trump’s nomination of Claver-Carone as the first American to lead the bank, a job traditionally held by someone from Latin America.

“That tradition should be reinstated, with a person of the highest integrity and professionalism,” Leahy told Reuters.

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Reporting by Andrea Shalal in Washington and Cassandra Garrison in Mexico City; Editing by Josie Kao and Stephen Coates

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Cassandra Garrison

Thomson Reuters

Mexico-based reporter focusing on climate change and companies with an emphasis on telecoms. Previously based in Santiago de Chile and Buenos Aires covering the Argentine debt crisis, the tussle for influence between the United States and China in Latin America and the coronavirus pandemic.

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