Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won the second round of Brazil’s presidential election with 51.8% of vote to Senator Flavio Bolsonaro’s 48.2%. The difference between the two candidates is 4.4 million votes, and the result gives Lula a fourth presidential term.
Flavio Bolsonaro refused to admit defeat. “It is impossible to recognize the election,” he said, describing what happened as a “rigged” election. Lula's rival is challenging the decision to extend election day by two hours and has said he will seek an annulment of the vote.
Voting extension dispute
A Supreme Court judge ruled that voting was extended by two hours. Lula's campaign filed a complaint, alleging that voters were prevented from reaching the polls by the suspension of buses in several cities, particularly in the northeast.
Bolsonaro's camp also requested an extension of voting in two regions, but cited heavy rainfall as the reason. The dispute over the organization of election day became the main argument of the losing candidate against the result.
„Brazilians went to vote because we managed to convince them that voting is extremely important to guarantee democracy“, said Lula.Congratulations from Europe and Latin America
Lula's re-election was welcomed by a number of world leaders. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that “democracy and multilateralism have won in Brazil“.
French President Emmanuel Macron called for the friendship between France and Brazil to be preserved, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez described the victory as the beginning of a turning point in the rise of the global progressive movement.
Lula also received congratulations from leftist governments in Latin America, including those of Mexico and Cuba. The presidents of Chile, Peru and Ecuador also expressed their readiness to continue working together with Brazil. China, India and Russia expressed a desire to maintain and deepen relations with the South American country.
The only exception among the leaders of major world powers is Donald Trump, who did not congratulate Lula. Before the first round, the US president had welcomed the “great victory” by Flavio Bolsonaro.
Fourth term amid strong parliamentary opposition
Lula's new term begins with a clear right-wing majority in Brazil's parliament. This limits his ability to govern and shows how deeply divided the country remains after the campaign.
Lula will be 81 years old and will rule until 2030, when he will be 85. After the end of his term, his total time at the helm of Brazil will reach 16 years, following his first presidential term from 2003 to 2010.
The victory also marks a personal turning point for Lula, who was convicted of corruption and served time in prison in 2018-2019. His conviction was later overturned on procedural grounds. Flavio Bolsonaro is the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest for trying to hold on to power.
Sources: bta.bg, nova.bg, amp.dw.com