Lula launches campaign to reclaim Brazilian presidency from Bolsonaro

Leftwinger tells rally that public must unite against far-right incumbent's incompetence and authoritarianism'

Brazil's former leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has kickstarted what he hopes will be a sensational finale to one of Latin America's most extraordinary political careers, publicly declaring his intention to challenge Jair Bolsonaro for the presidency and urging citizens to unite against the far-right populist's incompetence and authoritarianism".

Speaking at a rally in Sao Paulo, where the one-time lathe operator began his spectacular rise to power as a union leader more than four decades ago, Lula publicly spelled out his ambition to reclaim the presidency for the first time.