Flávio Bolsonaro's campaign launch draws 8,900 in Rio; Lula event's crowd size unmeasured

Flávio Bolsonaro launched his presidential campaign Sunday on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, attracting an estimated 8,900 attendees, according to monitors from USP/Cebrap and More in Common. The estimate, with a 12% margin of error, was derived from aerial photos analyzed by artificial intelligence software.

This methodology, used since August 2022, was notably absent for President Lula's campaign launch event in São Bernardo do Campo on the same day. Monitors cited restrictions on drone flights by Lula's campaign as the reason for their inability to provide an estimate. In contrast, during the 2022 elections, drone flights were authorized for a Lula rally, allowing for a crowd estimate of 9,600.

Bolsonaro's event, which included a US flag, prayers, and criticism of the Supreme Court, marked the start of his campaign. Lula's rally, meanwhile, focused on the working class but reportedly offered no new proposals. The differing approaches to crowd measurement highlight potential strategic differences in campaign transparency and public engagement.