Lula wins fourth term as Flávio Bolsonaro refuses to concede
The 80-year-old president defeated the far-right senator by 4.3 million votes in a runoff that reversed a first-round deficit.
By Alejandro Ruiz ·
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva secured his fourth nonconsecutive term as president of Brazil on Sunday, defeating Flávio Bolsonaro in a narrow runoff. The 80-year-old incumbent captured 51.79% of the vote, while the 45-year-old senator received 48.21%. This margin represents a difference of approximately 4.3 million votes among 159 million registered voters.
The result reversed a significant deficit from the first round of voting held in early October. In that initial ballot, Flávio Bolsonaro led Lula by roughly 2.3 million votes, garnering 56.1 million to Lula’s 53.8 million. No candidate who finished second in the first round had ever won the final ballot since Brazil restored its democracy in 1985.
Flávio Bolsonaro has rejected the outcome, describing it as impossible to concede. He cited a decision to extend voting hours by two on election day as a factor in the result. Both campaigns requested this extension, though for different strategic reasons. Lula called the victory a defeat for denialism. He is scheduled to turn 81 on Tuesday, meaning he wins the presidency on his birthday.
The campaign saw a shift in voter mobilization following the first round. A record abstention rate of 21% in the initial vote prompted progressive groups to intensify their outreach. Millions of voters joined a WhatsApp channel called Lula’s army, which provided daily instructions for creating supportive content online. The president, who recently adopted his first smartphone, began posting to Instagram and TikTok. His digital reach surpassed that of his opponent for the first time.
The Bolsonaro campaign faced internal challenges, including a report by the Brazilian magazine Piauí. The publication alleged that Flávio Bolsonaro attended a boat party during the 2020 pandemic alongside sex workers and vaccine lobbyists. This controversy added to concerns about the campaign’s conduct. The senator’s father, Jair Bolsonaro, is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election.
International dynamics also influenced the race. US President Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports last year after denouncing the trial of Jair Bolsonaro as a witch hunt. Lula positioned himself as a defender against these measures, maintaining a multilateral foreign policy approach. He rejected an invitation to join a Latin American military coalition focused on drug cartels, which would have increased US involvement in the region.
The victory has implications for environmental policy in the Amazon. Lula’s government reduced deforestation by more than 70% over the past four years. He also launched an operation to expel illegal miners from the Yanomami Indigenous reserve. However, the president will now work with a newly elected congress that includes a record number of right-wing politicians who are often hostile to environmental protections.
Brazilian correspondent Tom Phillips noted that the environment received limited attention in the final presidential debate. Voters focused primarily on the economy, public security, and cultural issues. Phillips observed that the immediate aftermath of the election is likely to be tense. He expects Flávio Bolsonaro to travel to the United States to avoid ongoing criminal investigations in Brazil.
Source: The Guardian
