Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was elected to a fourth term on Sunday, winning a runoff election against Flávio Bolsonaro.
The result capped a dramatic turnaround. Bolsonaro had beaten Lula in the first round of voting on October 4, and many observers had not thought it possible for Lula to reverse that result in just three weeks. Supporters of Lula gathered in São Paulo on Sunday night to celebrate as the results came in, according to images distributed by the Associated Press.
Lula, a veteran of Brazilian politics who first served as president from 2003 to 2010 and returned to office in 2023, has now been elected to lead Latin America's largest country four separate times. His victory also bucked a wider trend across Latin America in recent years, where voters in several countries have moved away from incumbent parties and toward the right. Reuters had reported ahead of the vote that cost-of-living concerns and crime were among the top issues on Brazilian voters' minds heading into the runoff.
The runoff format, in which the top two finishers from a first round face off if no candidate wins an outright majority, is a standard feature of Brazilian presidential elections and has produced closely contested races in the past. This result means Brazil's government will continue under Lula's leadership as the country prepares to host a major international climate conference and plays an increasingly prominent role in global trade and diplomacy.
Attention now turns to Lula's picks for his incoming cabinet and how he plans to address the economic concerns that nearly cost him re-election.
Who is Flávio Bolsonaro?
He is a Brazilian politician who won the first round of the presidential election on October 4 before losing to Lula in the runoff.
Has Lula been president before?
Yes, he previously served as Brazil's president from 2003 to 2010 and again starting in 2023, making this his fourth term overall.