+34
Thousands of Brazilians living in Ireland traveled to Dublin on Sunday to participate in the first round of Brazil's presidential election at the Royal Dublin Society. The event highlighted the strong political engagement of the diaspora, with voter registration in Ireland having increased by 41 percent since the last election. Participants expressed a deep connection to their homeland, with many viewing the vote as a celebration of democracy despite the political polarization affecting Brazil.
Thousands of Brazilians travelled from across Ireland to Dublin on Sunday to cast their ballots in Brazil’s presidential election first round, with voting at the Royal Dublin Society beginning at 8am.
“ doesn’t matter how long I spend away from Brazil, my roots are there. I want everyone to be well and I still feel I belong,” said Renato da Cunha Melo, who has lived in Ireland for 11 years with his wife, Andrea Carla Soares.
“It was living abroad that made me see Brazil more clearly and it was living here in Ireland that made me learn more about politics, social programmes and support for vulnerable people and immigrants,” Soares said. For many Brazilians, election day is called “celebration of democracy” and this year, the political polarisation that has divided Brazil crossed the Atlantic. Families could be seen chanting the names of their candidates, carrying flags and wearing the colours of their preferred candidates.
Some even brought their pets dressed for the occasion.
“My Brazilian identity abroad is also expressed through my vote. Despite living in Ireland, the people I love most are there, and today Brazil is a divided country,” said Saruana Martins, who has lived in Dublin for seven years and came to vote with her young daughter Ella. Nearby, Cenira Fernandes was praying outside the RDS for her candidate to win.
“Brazil needs change. My life is good here in Europe and I want that for Brazil too,” she said. Brazil’s ambassador to Ireland, Flávio Macieira, said the engagement of the community had grown significantly. The embassy estimates that about 80,000 Brazilians live in Ireland, and 16,794 are registered to vote here.
According to Brazil’s superior electoral court, the number of registered Brazilian voters in Ireland has risen by 41 per cent since the last presidential election. In 2018, there were just 2,111 registered voters, meaning the electorate has grown almost sevenfold in eight years.
The election pits president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva against senator Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro , who is serving a 27-year prison sentence after being convicted over a plot to overturn the 2022 election. The latest Datafolha poll, published on Saturday, put Lula on 45 per cent of valid votes and Flávio Bolsonaro on 42 per cent.
If no candidate wins more than half of the valid votes, a second round will be held on October 25th. The campaign has been marked by deep political divisions, concerns over the economy and crime, and tensions with the United States. Seeking a fourth term at 80 years old, Lula warned Washington against interfering, while the White House denied any intention to do so.
Meanwhile, 80 international observers arrived this week to follow the election. Presenting Brazil as an independent country, Lula supports multilateralism and stronger connections with Europe, China and South America. His political story includes spending a year and seven months in prison on corruption charges before his convictions were cancelled by Brazil’s supreme federal court, opening the way for him to return to politics and win the presidency in 2022.
Trying to secure his re-election in the final days, Lula announced several new measures: increasing the income tax exemption, adjusting social welfare payments for low-income families, creating programmes to help people negotiate their debts, banning sports-betting apps nationwide and offering free weight-loss injections through the public health system. Flávio Bolsonaro defends his father’s conservative and tough-on-crime ideas.
However, his father’s legacy is still marked by how his government handled the Covid-19 pandemic, a period when the elder Bolsonaro repeatedly called the disease a “minor flu”. While Flávio relies heavily on his father’s loyal voters, he tries to distance himself from the negative image of the previous government, even though he promises to pardon his father and others convicted for the coup plot.
Flávio also tried to get closer to Washington during president Donald Trump’s administration, meeting him at the White House in May and receiving public praise from him. For voters in Ireland, however, the election was also about maintaining a connection with a country many had left years ago. Soares summed up the feeling among voters on both sides of the political divide. “This election will determine the future of Latin America,” she said.
Please follow us on Google to support usBrazilian Diaspora Brazil Presidential Election Ireland Voting In Ireland Brazilian Community
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Mercedes-Benz and MSL Motor Group announce luxury hotel giveawayMercedes-Benz North Dublin Opens Its Doors with a Weekend of Luxury, Style and CelebrationTo cel...
Read more »
Without Distinction of Sex Review: Veronica Coburn's Dublin Theatre Festival PlayVeronica Coburn's Without Distinction of Sex at Dublin Theatre Festival traces the legacy of Article 41 and the 1922 Constitution promise of equal citizenship for women.
Read more »
Shairoze Akram: Pakistan-born All-Ireland winner pushing Castleknock to new highs in DublinFormer Mayo player had mixed emotions watching old friends win Sam Maguire. Mostly, though, he ‘was just delighted’
Read more »
Gardaí Investigate Death of Kathleen Carey in Dublin Balcony FallGardaí are investigating the death of Kathleen Carey, who fell from a balcony in Belmayne, Dublin. A postmortem and technical examination will determine if foul play was a factor.
Read more »