Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva wins the Brazilian presidential election with 51.79% of the votes, against 48.21% for Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. However, the result immediately sparks a new political confrontation: the defeated candidate announces an appeal to annul the elections, while Donald Trump questions the vote's legitimacy.
Lula's comeback culminates in a fiercely contested runoff. In the first round on October 4, Bolsonaro had secured 47% of the votes, compared to the outgoing president's 45%. The turnaround was also driven by voter mobilization in the Northeast, a traditional stronghold of the Workers' Party, and support from entertainment sectors and voters opposed to the Bolsonaro right.
After the electoral authority confirmed the results, thousands of Lula supporters took to the streets in São Paulo. In his victory speech, the president spoke of a "defeat of denial and lies" and condemned external interference and the role of digital platforms in the electoral campaign. He then responded to Washington: "This country will not be anyone's backyard."
Shortly after, Flávio Bolsonaro announced his intention to pursue legal action. The focus is on the decision to extend polling hours by two hours, made in the afternoon following Lula's protests over the lack of buses in the state of São Paulo, governed by the right. According to the outgoing president, transportation issues prevented some voters from reaching the polls.
"It's impossible to recognize the election results," Bolsonaro declared, arguing that the rules were changed during the voting process. However, the extension was requested by both the Workers' Party and the Liberal Party. The president of the Superior Electoral Court, Kassio Nunes Marques, ruled out that the extended hours caused any problems or altered the vote count.
Donald Trump also contested Lula's victory. The U.S. president referred to it as a replay of the "Joe Biden playbook" and argued that Bolsonaro, with his first-round lead, was the favorite to win. Trump had repeatedly praised the Brazilian candidate, though he did not officially endorse him.
The victory grants Lula a new term, but it does not solve the governance challenge. Congress remains a difficult arena for the president: the Liberal Party linked to the Bolsonaros holds a relative majority, while the country emerges from the elections deeply divided. The call to annul the vote now adds uncertainty to the post-election phase. The result grants Lula the presidency, but Bolsonaro's challenge and tensions with the United States threaten to extend the political conflict even after the polls have closed.
(Associated Medias) - All rights reserved