NewzBrazilians voted Sunday in a presidential runoff that pitted leftist incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva against Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, a far-right ally of U.S. President Donald Trump.Bolsonaro, the son of imprisoned former President Jair Bolsonaro, bested Lula by more than 2.2 million votes in the first round of the election earlier this month.
More than 33 million of the nearly 160 million registered voters did not turn out.Brazilian Supreme Court justice Cristiano Zanin ruled shortly after polls were closed that voters nationwide would have another two hours to cast their ballots — at both candidates' request. The extension threatened to cause logistical problems with some polls likely having closed before they got the order to stay open.The difference between the two candidates was stark. Bolsonaro and Lula have opposing ideological views on issues ranging from U.S.-Brazil relations and climate change to social welfare.Here's the latest:Lula wins fourth term, electoral court saysBrazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was reelected Sunday in a result that provides relief to critics of U.S.
President Donald Trump and keeps some distance between Latin America’s biggest economy and Washington.With 100% of the vote counted, Brazil’s electoral court said the soon to be 81-year-old Lula held an unassailable lead. The announcement capped an evening of chaos at polling places across Brazil, following a last-minute decision to extend voting by two hours. That decision by a Supreme Court justice may trigger legal action by opponent Flávio Bolsonaro.His triumph bucks a trend in Latin America where increasing numbers of right-of-center presidental candidates allied with Trump have been winning, further extending the United States’ influence in the region.
Lula’s victory leaves Mexico and Brazil, Latin America’s two most populous nations, with left-of-center leaders. It also positions Latin America’s largest economy, with a GDP of $2.6 trillion per year, to remain independent of the U.S., despite the pressure of increased tariffs imposed by Trump.Brazil resumes tallying votes after last-minute extension of polling station hoursBrazilian Supreme Court Cristiano Zanin ruled shortly after the polls closed that voters nationwide would have another two hours to cast their ballots — at the request of both candidates.Confusion reigned at many polling stations. Polls have closed after a last-minute extension in a neck-and-neck race between incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro, son of Jair Bolsonaro, the former Brazilian president currently serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Vote-counting resumed in Brazil’s polarizing presidential runoff between incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro after a chaotic, last-minute extension of polling station hours.The extension caused confusion at many polling stations. Some had already shut down when the decision — made by a Supreme Court justice three minutes before poll close time — was relayed to them several minutes after they’d already shut down, and results were paused until the end of the two-hour window.The decision set the stage for possible legal challenges no matter who wins. Lula’s camp said it was already looking into taking legal action because of “interference in the electoral process,” said Edhinho Silva, chairman of Lula’s Workers Party.Bolsonaro’s campaign had yet to comment.
Bolsonaro ally Nikolas Ferreira said the decision that came from the Supreme Court justice, who is also Lula’s ex-lawyer, is an attempt to contest Bolsonaro’s likely win.“They did this to be able to create a narrative. You’ve seen a team when they’re losing? Knowing that it’s not going to win, it asks for an extension,” he said.The election will determine whether the U.S.
Summary from source