Lula wins Brazil runoff after first-round defeat to Bolsonaro rival

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has won Brazil’s presidential runoff, defeating far-right rival Flávio Bolsonaro by 51.79% to 48.21% and securing a fourth term, according to The Guardian. The result reversed Lula’s first-round defeat by Bolsonaro, the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. The Guardian described it as the first time in Brazil’s electoral history that a first-round outcome had been overturned in the second round.

The final count came after a supreme court judge extended polling by two hours. Lula’s campaign also accused its opponents of sabotaging public transport in an effort to prevent their supporters from reaching polling stations. The supplied reports do not provide a ruling on that allegation.

Flávio Bolsonaro did not accept the result. The Guardian reported that he called Lula’s victory “sacanagem”, a Portuguese term that can roughly be translated as “bullshit”. His refusal echoed the response of his father after the previous presidential election, although the reports do not describe any further action by the defeated candidate.

The outcome leaves Brazil politically divided. Lula will face a hostile Congress containing many Bolsonaro allies, a situation likely to complicate efforts to pass significant legislative changes during his fourth term. Economic constraints will also shape the new administration.

The Guardian cited soaring debt, a gloomy economic outlook and entrenched structural problems as limits on Lula’s options. The president will be 81 as he begins the term, raising questions in the report about whether he can sustain the demands of office and prepare a credible successor. The election also has implications beyond Brazil.

NPR described the runoff as a contest involving US influence in Latin America and the legacy of a leftist president against a Trump ally. The Guardian said Lula’s victory shows that a rightward political shift is not inevitable, while noting that the right retains substantial electoral support, influence over the political agenda and a powerful ally in Washington.