Lula wins fourth term as Brazilian President in runoff

Brasilia: Brazilian incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, candidate of the ruling Workers' Party, won Sunday's presidential runoff, according to results released by Brazil's Superior Electoral Court.

With 99.89 per cent of the votes counted, Lula received 51.78 per cent of the valid votes, compared with 48.23 per cent for Flavio Bolsonaro, the Liberal Party's presidential candidate and son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, according to the official tally pulling off a remarkable comeback after trailing in the first round.

Lula will be sworn in on January 5, 2027, for a four-year term, marking his fourth election as Brazil's president.

He had trailed in the first round, blocking a rightward shift in Latin America that US President Donald Trump has backed. Lula is set to govern from 2027 to 2030, facing a Congress where Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party has held the largest bench in decades, and a public debt he must stabilise.

Earlier on Sunday, taking to social media platform X, Lula said: “Once again, it was the Brazilian people who showed me that no dream is too big when we walk together. They were tireless days. Every walk, every act, and every march were much more than campaign moments. They were encounters of dreams that turned into concrete achievements, like the end of the 6x1 workday. Every outstretched hand and every smile reminded me why I dedicated my life to the fight for the workers of this country.”

He further said: “We emerged from this journey stronger, more united, and more mobilised to ensure a better future. Thank you, Brazil, for every hug, every tear, every smile, and for never letting go of my hand. Our story still has many beautiful pages left to write.”

In the first round of voting held on October 4, Bolsonaro led with 47.03 per cent of the valid ballots, narrowly surpassing Lula, who secured 45.16 per cent. This result set up three weeks of vigorous campaigning throughout Latin America's largest nation.

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