Lula Turns Election Around, Defeats Fl�vio Bolsonaro and Wins Unprecedented Fourth Term

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has won an unprecedented fourth term as Brazil’s president, defeating Senator Flávio Bolsonaro in a Sunday runoff election. According to Folha de S.Paulo (English), Lula received 51.78% of the valid votes against 48.22% for the senator. Investing.com reported that Lula won roughly 51.8% of the votes, while Malay Mail cited official results showing Lula with 51.75% to Bolsonaro's 48.25%.

The victory follows a first-round defeat for Lula, who had been beaten by Bolsonaro on October 4, according to KahawaTungu.

The election day was marked by a two-hour extension of voting hours following a Supreme Court ruling. The Indian Express reported that both campaigns requested the extension; Lula's team cited bus issues in São Paulo and Salvador, while Bolsonaro's team cited heavy rains in southern Brazil. Investing.com noted the vote was marred by allegations of voter suppression, and Malay Mail stated Bolsonaro's camp lashed out at the country-wide extension.

Lula's new term is set to begin on January 5, 2027, and will run until 2030, according to Investing.com. KahawaTungu noted that Lula's win bucks a regional trend where countries like Argentina, Chile, and Colombia have elected conservative leaders. Lula will face a Congress dominated by Bolsonaro's Liberal Party and a landscape that includes animosity from US President Donald Trump, according to KahawaTungu.

Brief written by urgent.news from Folha de S.Paulo (English), KahawaTungu, Investing.com, The Indian Express, Malay Mail — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.