NNA News - Brazil’s presidential runoff could have significant implications for the country’s foreign policy and its relationships with China, the United States and other Global South nations, Brazilian journalist Leonardo Attuch said at a China–Latin America forum in Mexico City on Monday. Report by Brasil 247.

Attuch, president of the Global South Institute and founder of Brasil 247, argued that the election presents a choice between maintaining the international approach pursued under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and moving towards closer alignment with Washington under opposition candidate Flávio Bolsonaro.

“It would not simply be a change of government in Brazil. It would represent a transformation of the political and geopolitical balance across our entire region,” Attuch said, in remarks translated from Spanish, referring to the potential consequences of a Lula defeat.

Brazil’s second-round presidential election is scheduled for Sunday, 25 October, with Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro competing after finishing first and second in the opening round, according to Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court.

Attuch described Lula’s foreign policy as focused on Latin American integration, strengthening BRICS and promoting a multipolar international order. He argued that maintaining relations with multiple global powers would allow Brazil to pursue economic and technological partnerships while preserving its decision-making autonomy.

He contrasted that approach with what he characterised as Flávio Bolsonaro’s closer alignment with US foreign policy, particularly Washington’s efforts to limit China’s international influence. These were Attuch’s political assessments rather than established outcomes of a potential Bolsonaro administration.

The journalist said the competition between major powers increasingly involved strategic industries, including critical minerals, artificial intelligence, data centres, digital networks and energy infrastructure.

“Countries of the Global South need to diversify their partnerships, expand their technological options and preserve their decision-making autonomy,” he said.

“Sovereignty does not mean replacing one dependency with another. It means having the freedom to cooperate with everyone according to our own national interests,” Attuch added.

His comments placed Brazil’s election within a broader debate about international economic relations and the ability of developing countries to negotiate partnerships with competing global powers. China is an important economic partner for Brazil, while the United States remains a major commercial and diplomatic counterpart.

Attuch also called for stronger cooperation between Brazilian, Chinese and other Global South media organisations. He argued that direct exchanges between media institutions could help audiences understand countries beyond the narratives produced by dominant international outlets.

“We need to understand each other directly, without relying exclusively on interpretations produced by the major Western centers of power,” he said.

He cited cooperation between Brasil 247 and Chinese media organisations, including Xinhua, People’s Daily and Global Times, as examples of efforts to expand information exchange.

Attuch also proposed deeper collaboration between think tanks, universities and research institutions through joint studies, seminars, academic exchanges and publications. He said the Global South Institute, established earlier this year according to his account, aimed to strengthen links between Brazil, China, India, African countries and other parts of the developing world.

“If we want a truly multipolar world, we also need multipolar intellectual production,” he said.

The Ninth Forum on Dialogue Between Civilisations of China and Latin America and the Caribbean took place in Mexico City on Monday, bringing together academics, media professionals and other participants to discuss development strategies, digital cooperation and cultural exchange.

Attuch concluded by arguing that stronger relations between China and Latin America, alongside cooperation among BRICS countries, could contribute to a more inclusive international order.

“Dialogue between civilizations should not be an instrument of confrontation, but a path toward peace, shared development and mutual respect,” he said.