Brazil election: How a changing working class is reshaping the presidential race

In the sprawling former industrial city of Osasco, Brazil, the landscape has shifted dramatically from shuttered factories to shopping malls and delivery app tech companies, now referred to as São Paulo's "Silicon Valley." The municipality, which voted for left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2022, has now switched allegiance to right-wing Flávio Bolsonaro in the first round of Brazil's presidential election this month. Bolsonaro won that vote, setting the stage for a run-off on Sunday.

Since 1989, every first-round winner has gone on to be elected president. However, many of Lula's traditional supporters, like Gilberto Almazan, who leads a metalworkers' union, are increasingly worried. Almazan, who becomes emotional recounting Lula's journey from a boy who grew up in hunger to a three-time president, acknowledges the significant changes in the working class.

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"We had strong deindustrialisation here. The profile of the working class changed. They are no longer predominantly industrial workers; they are service workers. Metal, chemical, textile factories disappeared. And five malls were built," Almazan states.

Supporters of Bolsonaro express a desire for change, often unable to specify particular policies they favor but united in their frustration with the economy, crime, and political corruption. Gisele Bonfim, a lawyer in Osasco, reflects this sentiment:

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"He brings the hope of change, that we can have a different Brazil."

Lula's re-election campaign has faced challenges, with many voters turning away from him. Some chose to abstain, leading to higher-than-average abstention rates this year, while others, like Gisele, actively sought a new direction. The transformation of Brazil's working class is particularly evident in Osasco, where an open-air market showcases a shift towards gig economy jobs.