Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won the presidential election in Brazil and received an unprecedented fourth term. After the results were announced, he said that Brazilians voted in defense of democracy.
“They went to vote because we managed to convince them that voting is very important to guarantee democracy“, Lula said in his first statement after the vote.
Bolsonaro refused to recognize the result
Conservative candidate Flavio Bolsonaro said he would request the annulment of the presidential election. He refused to concede defeat to the incumbent, saying: "It is impossible to recognize the elections."
He said "many things still need to be clarified" due to the legal dispute surrounding election day. The vote was extended by two hours by a decision of Supreme Court judge Cristiano Zanin. The reason was the difficulties in transporting voters to the polling stations.
Bolsonaro challenged the decision and said that the rules had been changed during the vote. It remains to be seen whether and when an official request to annul the results will be filed.
Lula promises to regulate digital platforms
After his victory, Lula said that voters had also overcome the "interference" of digital platforms in the electoral process. He promised to regulate their activities, without providing further details on future measures.
His victory was welcomed by a number of Latin American leaders. Among them are the presidents of Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, Cuba and Panama.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum congratulated Lula with the words: “Long live democracy, the Brazilian people have won. Congratulations, President Lula!“ Chilean President José Antonio Cast announced that he had spoken with the Brazilian head of state and expressed readiness to continue cooperation in economic integration and the fight against organized crime.
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa stated that the countries in the region have common challenges. Paraguayan President Santiago Peña stressed the importance of democratic participation and regional integration, while his Uruguayan counterpart Yamandu Orsi described the election process as a “celebration of democracy“.
The presidents of Bolivia, Cuba and Panama also congratulated Lula. Miguel Diaz-Canel called his victory historic and said it guaranteed the continuation of the policy of peace, sovereignty and social justice.
Sources: bta.bg