With Brazil's polarised presidential election entering its final stretch, candidates rallied supporters and politicians on Sunday in Sao Paulo, the country's largest state capital, ahead of the 25 October runoff.
Conservative Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, who led the first round on 4 October with 47% of the vote, met with re-elected Sao Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas. Building on his early post-election momentum, Bolsonaro focused his campaign efforts on Sunday on securing political backing by meeting mayors and city councillors.
"I want to be very close to each one of you, mayors. This is how we are going to build a truly better Brazil, because federal resources will reach the ground level," the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro said, promising that municipalities would receive more funding to combat crime if he were elected.
Meanwhile, incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who trailed by two percentage points in the first round, headlined a major rally on Avenida Paulista. Speaking to reporters before taking the stage, the left-wing leader promised to redouble efforts to improve public safety, a major concern for voters.
"For the working people, for the community, for the territory, protection; for criminals, prison," Lula said, adding that, if re-elected, he wanted to overhaul the national approach to crime with direct federal government involvement.
From atop a sound truck, the president urged young voters, who made up a large portion of the crowd, to turn out. He also appealed to older citizens, for whom voting is optional after the age of 70.
Retired Petrobras employee Carlos Teobaldo da Silva, 79, who rose through the ranks from bricklayer to maintenance supervisor, wore his orange company uniform to the rally. He said he felt compelled to vote for Lula, even though voting was optional at his age.
"I believe in a turnaround, and I will keep fighting for Lula's re-election and his projects," Silva said.