Lula Defeats Flávio Bolsonaro to Take Brazil's Top Job Again

Brazil returned to the ballot boxes on Sunday for the second round of its presidential election. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the current president, defeated his right-wing opponent Flávio Bolsonaro to secure a fourth term in office.

Lula captured 51.79% of the votes, while Flávio Bolsonaro received 48.21%. The gap between the two candidates totaled 4.4 million votes. This result makes Lula the first Brazilian president to win a fourth term since the country returned to civilian rule in 1985.

The victory came after a dramatic sequence of events on election day. Polling stations were scheduled to close at the standard time, but the Supreme Court ordered a two-hour extension just before the deadline. Both campaigns requested the delay for different reasons. Lula's team argued that a lack of buses in São Paulo and Bahia prevented voters from reaching their stations. Flávio Bolsonaro's camp cited heavy rain in the south and in São Paulo.

Supreme Court President Kassio Nunes Marques, who was appointed by Jair Bolsonaro, issued the decision. He confirmed that the extension did not disrupt the counting process or the overall integrity of the election. Some polling stations that had already closed were unable to reopen for the extra time.

Flávio Bolsonaro has not yet accepted the defeat. He called for the result to be annulled, describing the outcome as inexplicable and impossible. Jair Bolsonaro, the former president and convicted criminal who is Flávio’s father, also spoke out against the result. Legal experts, however, consider annulment unlikely. Fernando Neisser, a lawyer at the Institute of Lawyers of São Paulo, stated that the large margin of victory makes a legal challenge difficult. Alberto Rollo, another expert, noted that the election dates are fixed by the constitution, adding complexity to any legal fight.

Voter turnout played a major role in the outcome. In the first round on October 4, Flávio Bolsonaro won with 47% of the vote, while Lula received 45%. At that time, 33 million people abstained from voting. In the second round, abstention dropped to its lowest level between election rounds since 1989. Lula’s campaign focused heavily on mobilizing these non-voters in the weeks leading up to Sunday.

Lula celebrated in the streets of São Paulo, addressing crowds after the results were declared. He described the win as a defeat for negativity and lies. The 81-year-old, who turns that age on Tuesday, said his fourth term would be the best in the country’s history and the one where he listens most to the people. Vice President Geraldo Alckmin told Lula that he had saved Brazilian democracy for a second time.

The new term begins on January 5 and will last until 2030. Lula’s victory contrasts with recent trends in Latin America, where voters in Argentina, Chile, and Colombia have elected right-wing leaders. The win also sets the stage for continued friction with the United States. US President Donald Trump has supported Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence for a coup attempt. Lula used his victory speech to reject what Trump calls the Donroe Doctrine, stating that Brazil will not accept being anyone’s backyard.

International leaders have already begun congratulating Lula. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said democracy and multilateralism had won. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called it a great victory for global progressivism. French President Emmanuel Macron said the two nations should work together for a more just world. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa described the win as a victory for the global south.