In brief
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva claimed his fourth term in a dramatic electoral comeback, scoring 51.79% of votes against right‑wing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro. The victory followed a surprise two‑hour poll extension, a rare move that saw voter turnout rise and abstention fall to the lowest level since 1989. Lula declared a new era of listening to the Brazilian people, while Bolsonaro announced his intent to challenge the result – a move experts judge unlikely to succeed. World leaders applauded Lula’s win, viewing it as a resurgence of left‑wing politics amid a wave of right‑leaning governments in Latin America.
Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has secured his fourth term in a dramatic comeback over right‑wing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro.
Lula took 51.79% of the vote, becoming the first president since civilian rule began in 1985 to win after losing the first round.
After a surprise extension of polls by two hours—requested by both camps over transport and weather concerns—voters headed to the polls in higher numbers, dropping the abstention rate to its lowest since 1989.
Voters in São Paulo lifted Lula into the streets, where he declared a new era of listening to the Brazilian people and praised democracy, while Bolsonaro faced backlash from his supporters in Brasília.
Despite Bolsonaro’s demands for annulment, legal experts say the prospect is slim given the margin and constitutional deadlines.
Lula, 81, will now head a government that some world leaders hail as a resurgence of left‑wing politics, even as tensions with the United States and regional allies simmer.
