Lula wins fourth term in Brazil; opponent Flavio Bolsonaro refuses to concede and seeks annulment
Brazil elected its most conservative Congress since the return to democracy in the 1980s. The government forecasts the economy will grow just 2.3% next year
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won a fourth term on Sunday, the country’s electoral court said, prompting congratulations from leaders across the Americas even as his opponent, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, refused to accept defeat.
Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, said he would ask for the result to be annulled because of a Sunday ruling from a Supreme Court justice that extended voting for two hours. He led the first round but lost the runoff by more than 4 million votes.
Analysts said the scale of his loss, more than twice his father’s losing margin, and the fact that his campaign also asked for an extension because of rains in the conservative-leaning south make annulment unlikely. Mario Braga, a Latin America analyst at the risk consultancy RANE, said there could be right-wing protests in coming days, but “it’s very improbable that it will lead to the reversal of the result.”
Lula, 80, is the first candidate since Brazil’s return to democracy in the 1980s to be elected after finishing second in the first round. Pollsters said better-than-expected turnout powered his win.
Markets reacted sharply. A Tokyo-listed exchange-traded fund tracking Brazil’s Bovespa index fell nearly 15% in Asia trade, and the real was set to drop against the US dollar.
Reactions across Latin America
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote, “Long live democracy, the people of Brazil won. Congratulations, President Lula!” Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel called it a “historic victory that ensures the continuity of the path of peace, sovereignty and social justice.” Former Argentine President Cristina Kirchner congratulated “comrade President Lula.”
Others also reached out. Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast said the two countries have “a lot of shared future ahead,” including cooperation against organized crime. Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa said the region has “common enemies, shared challenges and much to gain when we work together.”
Outside of Latin America, US Senator Bernie Sanders said Lula “has stood up for Brazilian workers & democracy.” Canadian PM Mark Carney also offered congratulations.
There was no immediate comment from President Donald Trump or the US State Department.
Lula governed from 2003 to 2010 and has been a vocal critic of Trump since returning to power in 2023. During the campaign, he warned that Bolsonaro would cut welfare spending and hand over Brazil’s sovereignty to Trump. His win deprives Trump of a major addition to a growing bloc of friendly right-wing governments in Latin America.
Lula now faces the most conservative Congress since the 1980s. Public debt has risen past 82% of GDP, and Goldman Sachs expects the returning president to make modest progress at most in containing spending.