Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has won a historic fourth term as president of Brazil in a dramatic election comeback. The nearly 81-year-old leftist leader defeated far-right opponent Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, in a tight runoff. Official results show Lula winning with approximately 51.7% of the vote compared to 48.2% for Bolsonaro, a lead of nearly 4.4 million votes. Lula is the first candidate to win a runoff after losing in the first round.
The election was marked by tension and disputes. Flávio Bolsonaro initially refused to concede defeat and sought to annul the vote, accusing the Supreme Court of changing the rules when it mandated a last-minute extension of voting hours by two hours. US President Donald Trump also described the runoff as rigged. However, Bolsonaro later abandoned plans to seek an annulment, intending instead to file a case accusing Lula of abuse of power.
Lula's victory bucks a regional trend of right-of-center presidential victories in Latin America and cements Brazil as a counterweight to Washington. Addressing tens of thousands of supporters in São Paulo, Lula vowed that dictatorship and fascism will never return to Brazil. Despite the triumph, the re-elected president faces a deeply divided nation and must tackle domestic economic and security concerns while navigating international tensions with President Trump.