Third-place candidate in Brazil's presidential race backs Flavio Bolsonaro against Lula

Augusto Cury, who came third in the first round of Brazil's presidential election, said on Thursday that he backs right-wing candidate Flavio Bolsonaro in the runoff against incumbent leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The endorsement strengthens Bolsonaro's chances in the race for the country's highest office.

In Sunday's first round, Cury took nearly 3 percent of the vote, while Bolsonaro received 47 percent and Lula 45 percent. Cury stressed in a statement that his support is not a "blank check".

The candidates

Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, is a senator and the eldest son of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is under house arrest for plotting a coup after losing Brazil's previous election in 2022. Lula, 81, is seeking a fourth term in office.

A Datafolha institute poll released on Thursday, before Cury's announcement, put Bolsonaro at 52 percent and Lula at 48 percent. Lula played down the polls, saying he does not assess them and instead focuses on winning more votes than his rival. By his account, he has 17 days to do so.

Final stretch of the campaign

Bolsonaro hopes to draw on his political alliances in the closing stretch. Lula, meanwhile, has been boosting his presence on social media, where the right has the upper hand.

On Thursday, thousands of people demonstrated in Sao Paulo and other cities against a return of the far right to power in Brazil. A similar march took place a day earlier in Rio de Janeiro.

Renan Santos, the fourth most popular candidate with 2.6 million votes, has refused to endorse either of the two leading candidates.