// BBC WORLD NEWS — MONDO
What to know about Brazil's election pitting Lula against Flávio Bolsonaro
The two candidates leading in the polls are Luíz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro
Brazilians are voting on Sunday in a general election in which the two front-runners for the presidency bear very familiar names.
The incumbent, veteran left-wing leader Luíz Inácio Lula da Silva, will be challenged by 11 candidates, the most prominent of whom is right-winger Flávio Bolsonaro.
In the last election four years ago, Lula narrowly defeated Flávio Bolsonaro's father Jair, but the tumultuous aftermath of the election, which saw Jair Bolsonaro convicted of plotting a coup after thousands of his supporters stormed the Brazilian Congress, has had a lasting impact on the nation's political life and this election.
At the launch of his campaign, Flávio Bolsonaro screened a video in which an AI-generated image of his father endorsed his candidacy
Jair Bolsonaro, the right-wing former army captain who governed Brazil from 2019 to 2023, will not be running for president in this election.
Not only is the 71-year-old barred from standing for office, he is also serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup after he lost the 2022 election to Lula.
Due to recurrent health problems, he is currently under house arrest rather than in a cell, but he has had restrictions imposed on him prohibiting him from posting on social media or making public statements.
Despite these restrictions, his shadow - and sometimes his moving and talking image - looms large over this election.
At the event where Flávio Bolsonaro officially launched his presidential campaign, an AI-generated avatar of Jair Bolsonaro endorsed his son's candidacy.