In brief
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has won a historic fourth term after a dramatic reversal in the second round of voting. The left‑wing leader captured 51.79 percent of the vote, defeating Flávio Bolsonaro who received 48.21 percent. A two‑hour polling extension and a Supreme Court ruling confirmed the outcome, but Bolsonaro claims the result is illegitimate and calls for annulment. The victory has drawn praise from multiple world leaders and signals a new chapter for Brazil’s democracy.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has captured a fourth term of office, ending a tight race that began with a lead for his opponent, Flávio Bolsonaro.
In the second round, Lula secured 51.79 percent of the vote, compared with Bolsonaro’s 48.21 percent, a margin of 4.4 million votes.
Delegates from two political parties extended polling hours by two hours after each side raised logistical concerns – shortages of buses in northern states for Lula’s team and heavy rain in the south for Bolsonaro’s camp. The Supreme Court upheld the extension and confirmed the result, stating it did not affect the count.
Bolsonaro refuses to accept the outcome and has called for the election to be annulled, a move that legal experts describe as unlikely given the decisive margin.
The triumph has prompted congratulatory messages from leaders across the globe, from Ursula von der Leyen and Pedro Sánchez to Cyril Ramaphosa and Donald Trump’s allies, highlighting the global significance of Brazil’s democratic continuity.
