Politics News

Lula wins a fourth term in Brazil as Flávio Bolsonaro refuses to concede

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has won a fourth, non-consecutive term, beating Senator Flávio Bolsonaro in the runoff on Sunday, October 25. Al Jazeera gave the official result as 51.8% for Lula and 48.2% for Bolsonaro, the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. India's The Pioneer, carrying an AP report, said Lula finished nearly 4.4 million votes ahead with all ballots counted.

It was a comeback: Bolsonaro had led the first round with 47% to Lula's 45%. The Pioneer says it is the first time since military rule ended in 1985 that the first-round runner-up has gone on to win. Lula's new term begins on January 5, 2027.

Brazilians had “voted to defend democracy”. — Lula, via Al Jazeera

Bolsonaro refused to concede and said he would seek to have the result annulled. Both outlets link this to a Supreme Court justice's decision to extend voting by two hours shortly before polls closed. The Pioneer adds that both campaigns had asked for the extension, citing bus problems in São Paulo and Salvador and heavy rain in the south.

How each outlet framed it

• Al Jazeera — the celebrations: vuvuzelas on Rio's beachfront, crowds in red on São Paulo's Paulista Avenue, and Lula on a megaphone through his car's sunroof.
• The Pioneer — the numbers and the dispute: the historic comeback, the voting extension, and a campaign fought on cost of living and security.

What we don't know yet: Whether Bolsonaro's challenge to the result will go anywhere. Both reports say Lula's win breaks a regional trend of right-leaning, Trump-backed candidates winning in Latin America.