Clueless Hollywood celebs campaign for socialist Lula da Silva ahead of Brazil’s presidential runoff

The celebrities opened the video by forming the letter “L” with their hands in a gesture of support for Lula, accompanied by music in the background. The video featured actors and filmmakers — including Guillermo del Toro, Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo — who urged Brazilians to vote for Lula in the name of “freedom” and “fighting against fascism.”

The runoff follows the first round of voting three weeks ago, where Bolsonaro secured approximately 47 percent of the vote compared with Lula’s 45 percent. Neither candidate won an outright majority, triggering a second round of voting. A final debate was held in Rio de Janeiro on Friday.

The election comes amid a surge of conservative leadership in Latin America. Argentina elected libertarian President Javier Milei in 2023, while Ecuador, Bolivia, Honduras and Chile have seen the election of right-wing leaders in recent years.

Brazil’s election has been marked by controversy surrounding the political histories of both candidates. Lula was sentenced to prison in connection with corruption cases before Brazil’s Supreme Court freed him on a technicality, allowing him to run in the 2022 presidential election. He subsequently defeated then-President Jair Bolsonaro, Flávio’s father, after campaigning on removing him from office.

Lula had pledged to serve only one term, but he is now seeking another term in office.

Flávio Bolsonaro, a senator and the son of the former president, entered the race as his father remains under a 27-year prison sentence. Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced after being convicted of a coup plot.

The Trump administration defended the former president, characterizing the prosecution, which was overseen by an allegedly corrupt judge on Brazil's Supreme Federal Court, as politically motivated.

"The political persecutions by sanctioned human rights abuser Alexandre de Moraes continue, as he and others on Brazil's Supreme Court have unjustly ruled to imprison former President Jair Bolsonaro," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said after Bolsonaro’s conviction. "The United States will respond accordingly to this witch hunt."

Going into Sunday’s runoff, polls have shown a closely contested race between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro.