Sergio Massa backed Lula ahead of the presidential elections in Brazil

Former Economy Minister Sergio Massa publicly expressed his support for Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who this Sunday faces Flavio Bolsonaro in the runoff that will determine the next president. The former Unión por la Patria candidate posted an image of when he met with the Workers' Party leader and dedicated a message to him. "Tomorrow and always on the Lula side of life," Massa said on his social media hours before the elections in Brazil begin. This Sunday, the Brazilian president seeks re-election against the senator and son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, in a contest that reaches its conclusion with the polls showing a technical tie. In the first round, on October 4, the opposition candidate obtained 47.03% of the valid votes, while Lula got 45.16%. As reported by LA NACION, the latest polls by Datafolha and Quaest placed the opposition candidate ahead, with 51% versus the president's 49%, within the margin of error. Massa's endorsement is part of a relationship of political affinity between Lula and the main figures of Peronism who made up Unión por la Patria. In 2022, Cristina Kirchner, Alberto Fernández, and Axel Kicillof publicly celebrated the Workers' Party leader's victory over Jair Bolsonaro, and a year later, during the Argentine presidential campaign, Lula gave implicit support to Massa. Lula heads into the runoff against Flavio Bolsonaro with the polls showing a technical tie Andre Penner - AP During that same campaign, Lula also defended trade between the two countries and called for preserving the jobs it generates. "Brazil needs Argentina and Argentina needs Brazil," he said at the time, in response to Milei's proposal to cut relations with his government. The post also adds to the recent interventions of the Frente Renovador leader in Argentine politics. This Wednesday he met with some fifteen rectors at the National University of San Martín, backed their demands, and predicted a defeat for Javier Milei's government in the 2027 elections. Sergio Massa expressed his support for Lula on the eve of the Brazilian runoff Gustavo Garello - AP "Inexorably, next year the majority of society will turn the page on this," he told the university authorities. At that meeting, he asked them to prepare for a new stage and focused on recovering the role of universities in the country's development. In September, Massa had participated in a tribute to José Manuel de la Sota at the Savoy hotel and later held a private dinner with Buenos Aires province mayors in San Fernando. In those conversations, he defended holding primaries to define Peronist candidacies, both in the province of Buenos Aires and at the national level.