Lula wins fourth term in Brazil as Flávio Bolsonaro rejects result

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has won a fourth term as Brazil’s president, defeating Flávio Bolsonaro in Sunday’s runoff, according to The Guardian, BBC News and Al Jazeera. International congratulations followed the result, while Bolsonaro refused to concede and called for the election outcome to be annulled.

The Guardian, citing Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court, reported that Lula received 51.79% of the vote against Bolsonaro’s 48.21%, a lead of about 4.4 million votes. BBC News also reported the left-wing president’s victory, describing a close contest against his right-wing challenger.

A fourth term after a first-round setback

Lula, 80, becomes the first Brazilian president to win a fourth term, according to The Guardian. The newspaper reported that he had reversed his first-round defeat to secure the presidency in the runoff. It described that turnaround as the first of its kind since the country’s return to democracy.

During the campaign, Lula emphasised his record on reducing poverty and inequality, The Guardian reported. In his victory speech, he thanked young Brazilians for mobilising support for his campaign and promised changes in how the country would be governed, according to the outlet’s account.

The Guardian reported that Lula’s next term is scheduled to begin on 5 January 2027. Its coverage also showed supporters celebrating his victory in Rio de Janeiro after the runoff result.

Bolsonaro challenges extended voting

Bolsonaro, a 45-year-old senator and the eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, disputed a late-Sunday decision extending polling by two hours, according to The Guardian. The newspaper said the decision was made by a Supreme Court justice appointed by Lula and concerned alleged irregularities involving voter transport.

According to The Guardian, Bolsonaro pledged to pursue legal action to have the outcome annulled. Al Jazeera separately reported his refusal to concede following Lula’s fourth-term victory. The supplied reports do not establish that the alleged transport irregularities changed the result, nor do they report a ruling annulling the election.

The Guardian drew a parallel with Jair Bolsonaro’s response to his own defeat by Lula in 2022. It reported that the former president never accepted that loss and was subsequently sentenced by the Supreme Court to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup to stay in power.

Congratulations from abroad

World leaders congratulated Lula after the result, according to The Guardian. Its coverage included welcoming reactions from Spain’s prime minister and the European Union’s chief, with the former presenting the outcome as an advance for progressive politics and the latter highlighting democracy.

The Guardian characterised Lula’s victory as a setback for US President Donald Trump, reporting that he had hoped Bolsonaro would join other pro-Trump leaders in South America. At the time of the newspaper’s update on Monday morning, Trump had not publicly reacted, according to its account.

The reports therefore describe two contrasting responses to the runoff: international recognition of Lula’s victory and a rejection of the outcome by his defeated opponent. Bolsonaro’s stated intention to challenge the result remained unresolved in the supplied coverage.

Sources: The Guardian, BBC News, Al Jazeera.