NewzLeftist incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defeated Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, a far-right ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, and was reelected to a fourth term in Brazil's presidential runoff Sunday.With 100% of the vote counted, Brazil’s electoral court said Lula held an unassailable lead.
The announcement capped an evening of chaos at polling places following a last-minute decision to extend voting by two hours. That decision by a Supreme Court justice may trigger legal action by Bolsonaro.The son of imprisoned former President Jair Bolsonaro bested Lula by more than 2.2 million votes in the first round of voting earlier this month. More than 33 million of the nearly 160 million registered voters did not turn out.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:Bolsonaro won't concede election defeatFlávio Bolsonaro refused to concede defeat to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who bested him by nearly 4.4 million votes Sunday, following a chaotic delay in poll closing times ordered by a Supreme Court justice.Both Bolsonaro and Lula asked that polls remain open late after issues with public transportation and inclement weather in some parts of Brazil. The decision to keep polls open came three minutes before scheduled poll close; some polls got word after they’d closed and it’s unclear how many votes were cast in the extended hours.Bolsonaro called the move to extend voting hours unprecedented — though both he and Lula made the request — and asked for the election results to be annulled, saying it was impossible to accept the results. His father, Jair Bolsonaro, is serving a 27-year sentence for an attempted coup following his defeat to Lula in 2022.Lula addresses supportersPresident Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his gratitude to the Brazilian people and pledged to respect all Brazilians after he won reelection Sunday.“No one is required to like the president-elect, but he must govern for everyone,” Lula said as he addressed supporters.He also attacked Bolsonaro.
“This was a defeat for denialism and lies,” he said.Citing his age and political experience, he said: “I want to make a commitment: I will deliver the best term any president has ever served. I will dedicate myself 24 hours a day to ma… Brazil's president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has defeated right-wing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro in a run-off to secure a fourth non-consecutive term.
Summary from source