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Brazil Election: Lula Wins Fourth Term as Bolsonaro Vows to Challenge Results
Lula da Silva, staged a dramatic comeback on Sunday to secure re-election, but his rival, Flavio Bolsonaro, refused to accept defeat and vowed to seek the annulment of the election.
Lula’s victory halted a conservative wave that has swept across several countries, including Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru, where political shifts to the right have been backed by US President Donald Trump.
The leftist icon, who turns 81 on Tuesday, defied projections to win an unprecedented fourth presidential term.
According to official results, Lula secured 51.8 per cent of the votes against 48.2 per cent for Flavio Bolsonaro, giving him approximately 4.4 million more votes than his opponent.
Flavio Bolsonaro, a senator, is the son of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence for attempting a coup following his defeat to Lula in Brazil’s 2022 election.
Sunday’s vote was marked by confusion after a Supreme Court ruling extended voting by two hours, even though some polling stations had already closed.
The decision followed a request by Lula, who complained that buses had been withdrawn from circulation in several cities, preventing some citizens from exercising their voting rights.
Flavio Bolsonaro also requested an extension in some regions because of heavy rainfall, but described the court’s decision as “unacceptable” and a “dirty trick.”
“It is impossible to recognise the results. I am going to request the annulment of these elections,” he said in a brief speech in Brasilia.
Supporters of Brazil’s President and presidential candidate, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, celebrate after learning the results of the presidential runoff election in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on October 25, 2026.
No candidate who lost the first round had won the second round in Brazil since 1989, the first direct election following the end of the country’s military dictatorship.
In his first comments after the victory, Lula said, “People went to vote because we managed to convince them that voting was very important for ensuring democracy in the country.”
Fireworks and vuvuzelas filled the air in Rio de Janeiro, while thousands of people dressed in red, the colour of Lula’s Workers’ Party, took to the streets of Sao Paulo to celebrate the victory.
Lula’s Fight Back
Following his defeat in the first round, the left mobilised through massive rallies, adopting the slogan “Never Again Bolsonaro” and revamping its social media strategy.
The abstention rate also declined from 21 per cent in the first round to 19 per cent.
Julio Canelo, a 42-year-old lawyer celebrating in Rio de Janeiro, described the result as a victory for “the entire democratic spectrum.”
“It was the result of the people mobilising, in the streets and online,” he told AFP.
A fierce social media battle also drew in Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram. Lula’s campaign accused the company of favouring his opponent through “algorithmic manipulation.”
Meta denied the allegation but acknowledged that some of Lula’s campaign advertisements had been mistakenly deactivated because of technical errors.
“We are going to have to regulate them,” Lula said, referring to social media companies after his victory.
The bitter campaign, marked by scandals and mudslinging, exposed the deep divisions that have plagued Brazil over the past decade.
A Country Split in Two
Lula begins his fourth term with almost half of the country having rejected him and expressing a strong desire for change.
He rose from poverty to become president in 2003 and was re-elected in 2006.
Lula made a dramatic return to office in the 2022 election after a corruption scandal led to his imprisonment for more than 18 months. The charges were later annulled on procedural grounds.
During his third term, Lula oversaw a decline in inflation and unemployment and lifted millions of people out of hunger. However, many voters remained concerned about the high cost of living and rising crime.
Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, presented himself as more moderate and jovial than his father, successfully mobilising conservatives and less ideological voters seeking a new direction.
“We’re in a deep hole, things are dire. People can barely afford to eat — buying meat is out of the question,” said Tereza Cristina Ramos, a 68-year-old retiree who voted in Rio de Janeiro.
Already one of the world’s oldest leaders, Lula will be 85 by the end of his new term in 2030.
He will also face a hostile Congress dominated by the right.
Lula’s campaign relied heavily on the theme of national sovereignty amid commercial and diplomatic pressure from the United States under Trump.
“This country will not accept being anyone’s backyard,” he said on Sunday.
Lula received congratulations from Chile’s far-right President, Jose Antonio Kast, and Ecuador’s right-wing leader, Daniel Noboa, both of whom are close allies of Trump.
Mexico’s left-wing President, Claudia Sheinbaum, also congratulated Lula in a message on X, declaring, “Long live democracy, the people of Brazil won.”
AFP