Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has secured re-election after defeating opposition candidate Flávio Bolsonaro, a result expected to sustain tensions between Latin America’s largest economy and United States President Donald Trump.
With all votes counted, Brazil’s electoral court said Lula secured 51.8 per cent of the vote, giving him a lead of nearly 4.4 million votes over Bolsonaro. The result marked another victory for the veteran left-wing leader, who has openly criticised Trump’s influence in the region.
Bolsonaro, the son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, rejected the outcome and called for the election to be annulled following confusion at some polling stations after voting hours were extended by two hours.
Lula’s victory runs against a recent regional trend in which right-wing and centre-right candidates aligned with Trump have won presidential elections. It also signals that Brazil, which has an annual gross domestic product of about $2.6tn, is likely to maintain its independent position despite pressure from Washington, including increased tariffs.
Lula pledges to defend Brazil’s sovereignty
Footage released by Lula’s campaign showed the president celebrating with his wife, First Lady Rosângela da Silva, and political allies after the electoral court confirmed his victory. He kissed his wife while wearing red glasses shaped like stars.
Addressing supporters who gathered along São Paulo’s main avenue and at Cinelândia Square in Rio de Janeiro, Lula thanked voters and promised to govern all Brazilians regardless of their gender or religious beliefs.
He also criticised Bolsonaro, describing the result as a rejection of falsehoods and denialism.
“This was a defeat for denialism and lies. I must confess that every time I attended a debate, I felt embarrassed,” Lula said.
Reaffirming his commitment to national independence, he declared, “Either the homeland remains free, or we die for Brazil.”
He added, “This country will not accept being anyone’s backyard.”
Celebrations erupted in parts of the country after the result was announced. In Rio de Janeiro, motorists sounded their horns while a woman dressed in red, a colour associated with Lula’s supporters, taunted four men wearing yellow and green, colours linked to Bolsonaro’s campaign.
However, Bolsonaro supporters expressed disappointment over the outcome. Rodrigo Valentim, a 51-year-old businessman who backed the opposition candidate, argued that Lula’s return to office would hurt the economy.
“I don’t understand how people can vote for Lula,” he said. “The country is collapsing.”
Lula is scheduled to begin his fourth non-consecutive presidential term on January 5, 2027.
Bolsonaro challenges election result
The electoral court’s announcement followed confusion over voting arrangements after Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin ordered polling stations to remain open for an additional two hours, just three minutes before voting was due to end.
The extension followed requests from both candidates. Lula cited transportation problems affecting buses carrying voters to polling stations in São Paulo and Salvador, while Bolsonaro pointed to heavy rainfall in southern Brazil, where he enjoys stronger support.
The decision delayed the counting process, although it remained unclear how many polling stations continued receiving voters beyond the original closing time. Reporters from The Associated Press observed that polling stations in Brasília and Rio de Janeiro closed shortly after the initial 5 pm deadline.
Bolsonaro criticised the ruling, noting that Zanin had previously served as Lula’s lawyer.
“It’s impossible to recognize the results of the election in the context of these things that happened,” he said.
The opposition candidate’s request to invalidate the election would have to satisfy the legal requirements for overturning the result. He could also seek a recount if he presented evidence of fraud, although such a move might not alter the outcome.
Kassio Nunes Marques, president of the electoral court and a Supreme Court justice appointed by former President Jair Bolsonaro, said the extension of voting hours did not affect the result.
Joao Pedro Padua, a law professor at Fluminense Federal University, said Bolsonaro could challenge the election through the electoral authorities or the Supreme Court.
“But there isn’t much legal basis for that,” Padua said.
He added, “The extension of voting hours is unusual, but for it to invalidate the elections, the candidate would have to prove that it affected voters’ ability to freely express their will. There doesn’t seem to have been any such impact.”
Cost of living, security shape campaign
Lula’s victory came after a difficult campaign shaped by public concerns over rising living costs and insecurity. Bolsonaro had finished the first round ahead of Lula by more than 2.2 million votes earlier in the month.
The final result marked the first time since the end of Brazil’s military dictatorship in 1985 that a candidate who finished second in the first round went on to win the presidency.
During the campaign, Bolsonaro focused on law-and-order policies and promised to reduce food prices. Lula, meanwhile, sought to attract undecided voters through government incentives and appeals to his political record.
Both candidates faced corruption-related controversies involving associates and family members. Lula had previously spent more than a year in prison following corruption convictions that were later annulled.
Lula began his political journey in the 1970s as a trade union leader before helping establish the Workers’ Party. He contested the presidency three times before winning in 2002 and securing a second term in 2006.
His successor, Dilma Rousseff, won the presidency in 2010 and was re-elected in 2014 before being impeached two years later.
Lula attempted another presidential run in 2018 but was jailed after a conviction in March of that year. He spent 580 days in prison before his release, and Brazil’s Supreme Court subsequently annulled his conviction after evidence emerged that the judge involved had been biased.
He later became one of Jair Bolsonaro’s leading critics and narrowly defeated the former president in 2022.
After trailing in the first round of the latest election, Lula reorganised his campaign, reached out to younger voters and mobilised supporters around democratic values and his political legacy. He also highlighted government programmes as he sought to persuade undecided voters.
His latest victory is expected to be a defining moment in a political career spanning more than five decades. At nearly 81, Lula will also rank among the oldest serving presidents in the Americas, alongside Trump and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, who are both around 80.
