Kathmandu, Oct 26: Brazilian leftist leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has won a fourth presidential term after defeating 45-year-old Senator Flávio Bolsonaro in a runoff election, staging a historic comeback following a first-round deficit.
According to Brazil’s electoral authority, Lula secured 51.8 per cent of valid votes, while Bolsonaro, the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, received 48.2 per cent. Lula will lead Latin America’s largest economy from 2027 to 2030.
Lula’s victory marks another chapter in a political career that began in the labour movement. Born into a poor family in northeastern Brazil, he worked as a metalworker before becoming a trade union leader in São Paulo’s industrial region. He rose to national prominence in the late 1970s by leading strikes demanding better wages and working conditions during military rule.
In 1980, he helped establish the Workers’ Party, which became a major force in Brazilian politics. After three unsuccessful presidential campaigns, Lula won the presidency in 2002 and served two consecutive terms from 2003 to 2010.
His government expanded social welfare programmes, including Bolsa Família, which provided financial assistance to low-income families. Rising employment and falling poverty helped him build a strong support base among working-class and poorer voters.
Lula’s political career suffered a major setback when he was convicted in corruption cases linked to the sprawling Lava Jato investigation. He spent 580 days in prison after his 2018 conviction, which prevented him from contesting that year’s presidential election. Brazil’s Supreme Court later annulled his convictions, restoring his political rights.
He returned to the presidency in 2023 after narrowly defeating Jair Bolsonaro in the 2022 election.
Lula’s latest victory comes despite losing the first round to Flávio Bolsonaro. His comeback deals a setback to the expansion of right-wing influence in Latin America and limits US President Donald Trump’s regional political ambitions.
Hundreds of Lula supporters gathered on São Paulo’s Paulista Avenue on Sunday evening, waving red flags bearing his image and watching the results. They celebrated the outcome as a victory for democracy.
Lula will face challenges in his fourth term, including controlling public debt, addressing living costs and working with a conservative-dominated Congress where Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party holds substantial influence.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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