Luiz Lula da Silva scooped a tight victory against incumbent Jair Bolsonaro to become Brazil’s next president.
The leftist former president received 50.9% of the vote to Bolsonaro’s 49.1%, according to the country’s election authority, marking a return to power for da Silva.
Da Silva, universally known as Lula, was the country’s president from 2003 to 2010 and has promised to restore Brazil’s more prosperous past. He built an extensive social welfare programme during his tenure as president that helped lift tens of millions into the middle class, and he left office with an approval rating above 80%, prompting then US president Barack Obama to call him “the most popular politician on Earth”.
However, he is also remembered for his administration’s involvement in vast corruption revealed by sprawling investigations which saw him jailed for 580 days for corruption and money laundering.
His convictions were later annulled by Brazil’s top court, which ruled the presiding judge had been biased and colluded with prosecutors. That enabled da Silva to run for president for the sixth time.
He has pledged to boost spending on the poor, re-establish relationships with foreign governments and take bold action to eliminate illegal clear-cutting in the Amazon rainforest.
Da Silva’s victory marks the country’s tightest election since its return to democracy in 1985, and the first time that a sitting president failed to win re-election, with just over two million votes separating the two candidates.
Bolsonaro had been leading throughout the first half of the count but as soon as da Silva overtook him, cars in the streets of downtown Sao Paulo began honking their horns and people in the streets of Rio de Janeiro’s Ipanema neighbourhood could be heard shouting, “It turned!”
World leaders including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron have all reacted to the news and offered their congratulations.
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Da Silva, universally known as Lula, was the country’s president from 2003 to 2010 and has promised to restore Brazil’s more prosperous past. He built an extensive social welfare programme during his tenure as president that helped lift tens of millions into the middle class, and he left office with an approval rating above 80%, prompting then US president Barack Obama to call him “the most popular politician on Earth”.
5. Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sánchez
The Prime Minister of Spain congratulated the new president and said Brazil has “bet on progress and hope”. In a tweet, he wrote: “Congratulations, @LulaOficial , for your victory in these elections in which Brazil has decided to bet on progress and hope. Let's work together for social justice, equality and against climate change. Your successes will be those of the Brazilian people. Parabens, Lula!”
6. Prime Minister of Portugal António Costa
Prime Minister of Portugal António Costa offered his congratulations to the newly elected Brazilian president, writing on Twitter: “I have already had the opportunity to warmly congratulate @LulaOficial on his election as President of the Republic of Brazil. I look forward to our work together in the coming years with great enthusiasm, in favour of #Portugal and #Brasil , but also around great global causes.”
7. Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Amor Mottley
Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Amor Mottley said “the power of democracy resides” in response to da Silva’s win. She wrote on Twitter: “Congratulations to President Elect @lulaoficial on your victory in the Brazil General Elections. The power of democracy resides with the people, and the people have spoken. I look forward to meeting with you. Once again, congratulations!”
8. President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola
The President of the European Parliament congratulated da Silva on winning the election and said Brazil is an important ally with “high potential” for the EU. Roberta Metsola wrote on Twitter: “Congratulations @LulaOficial, the next President of Brazil. For the EU, Brazil is an important ally & partner, with high potential. Together we must face global challenges such as war, economic development, food security & climate change.”