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BRAZILIAN President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva staged a dramatic comeback on Sunday to defeat right-wing senator Flavio Bolsonaro and secure an unprecedented fourth presidential term, defying expectations after trailing his rival in the first round.
Official results showed Lula securing 51.7 per cent of the vote against 48.2 per cent for Bolsonaro, the son of former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro.
AFP reported on Monday that the victory marks a setback for conservative forces in Latin America, where countries including Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru have shifted towards the right, with support from United States President Donald Trump.
Lula, who turns 81 on Tuesday, overcame his first-round deficit to return to office for another term.
No candidate who finished behind in the first round had won the second round since Brazil’s first direct presidential election following the end of military dictatorship in 1989.
Fireworks and vuvuzelas filled the streets of Rio de Janeiro, while thousands of supporters wearing red, the colour of Lula’s Workers’ Party, gathered in Sao Paulo to celebrate his victory.
In a video posted on social media, Lula was seen jumping with joy at a Sao Paulo hotel while wearing red, star-shaped glasses. He was scheduled to address the media later.
Lula secured 45 per cent of the vote in the first round earlier this month, compared with Bolsonaro’s 47 per cent. Opinion polls had subsequently placed the two candidates statistically level ahead of Sunday’s runoff. - October 26, 2026
