Lula won a ‘miracle’ election in Brazil. Now comes the hard part: putting the country back on the right track

Former US President Donald Trump opined on Monday that Brazil's recent presidential election appeared to be rigged, despite the Liberal Party of defeated candidate Flávio Bolsonaro later confirming Lula da Silva's victory. Flávio Bolsonaro, Jair Bolsonaro's son, has refused to concede, asserting he intends to seek the annulment of Lula's win.

The Supreme Court extended voting by two hours, accounting for less than 35,000 votes or 0.03% of total cast. Trump did not endorse Bolsonaro before the election, though officials from his State Department reportedly supported Bolsonaro's return to power. When asked about the election's legitimacy, Trump stated it "looked very bad to me" due to the extended voting period.

Brazil's Vice President Geraldo Alckmin dismissed Trump's comments as "totally wrong and unfounded." Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was recently sentenced to 27 years for plotting a coup after losing to Lula. Analysts do not foresee Flávio Bolsonaro replicating his father's anti-democratic movement in 2022. Global leaders have welcomed Lula's fourth term, but investors reacted negatively to the unexpected result.