Brazilians head to polls in high-stakes, polarised election

Brazilians queued to vote on Sunday in the first round of a tight election, following a campaign dominated by corruption scandals, economic anxiety and accusations of US meddling.

The field of 13 candidates has been led by two clear front runners – leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, 80, who is seeking a fourth term, and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the 45-year-old son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who hopes to return his father’s right-wing movement to power.

A victory for the senator would extend a ‌wave of wins across Latin America by right-wing candidates aligned with US President Donald Trump, while Lula’s re-election could create a headache for Washington, which has clashed with his government over trade and security.

Despite growing worries over the public finances and sluggish economic growth of Brazil, the campaign has offered meagre policy debate, as both leading candidates skipped the major television debates.