Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva wins fourth term as Brazil president

OPA WIRE, Oct 26 (OPA) — Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva claimed victory in Sunday’s presidential runoff, securing 51.75% of the vote against Flávio Bolsonaro’s 48.25%. With nearly 99% of ballots counted, the result confirms a decisive shift from the first round of voting in early October, where Bolsonaro had initially led. The margin of victory stands at 4.3 million votes, a substantial increase from the 2.2 million-vote deficit Lula faced three weeks ago.

Lula’s campaign attributed the turnaround to a successful mobilization effort that reduced the national abstention rate from 21.08% in the first round to 19.21%. Supporters gathered in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro to celebrate the outcome, which party allies described as a rejection of the extreme right. Reginaldo Lopes, a senior ally, stated the result signals a reorganization of democratic forces within the country.

The election concludes a career-defining cycle for the 81-year-old president, who first rose to prominence as a union leader in the 1970s. Lula previously served two consecutive terms starting in 2002 and returned to office in 2022 after defeating Jair Bolsonaro, the father of his current opponent. Jair Bolsonaro is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence for his role in a failed coup attempt.

The result carries international implications, particularly for U.S. President Donald Trump, who had publicly supported the Bolsonaro campaign. The defeat of Flávio Bolsonaro complicates the regional ambitions of pro-Trump leaders across Latin America, including those in Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, and Argentina. Lula is scheduled to turn 81 on Tuesday as he prepares to transition into his fourth term.