Brazil heads back to the future as Flavio Bolsonaro refuses to recognize Lula win

São Paulo, October 26 - Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, son of imprisoned former President Jair Bolsonaro, has refused to recognize leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's historic fourth term win in Sunday's presidential election. Bolsonaro questioned a late decision by a Lula-appointed Supreme Court justice that extended voting by two hours over alleged public transport irregularities.

He stated he would seek to annul the election results, citing the circumstances under which they unfolded. The senator's move is likely to fail, as his campaign also sought an extension due to heavy rains in the conservative-leaning south. Lula's victory surprised many, as he trailed Bolsonaro in the first round of voting. World leaders, including the EU, Mexico, France, Canada, India, and Russia, quickly congratulated Lula on his win, while the US administration remained silent.

Stock markets and the Brazilian currency plummeted following Lula's re-election, with the US dollar falling over 11% against the Brazilian real. Lula expressed his intention to govern for everyone, emphasizing his record of reducing poverty and inequality. Despite facing an uphill battle in Congress, dominated by Bolsonaro allies, Lula's victory is seen as a win for democracy and multilateralism.