Lula Beats President Bolsonaro in Brazil’s Presidential Runoff Election
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won Brazil’s presidential runoff election on Sunday, October 30th, defeating incumbent right-wing candidate Jair Bolsonaro by a razor-thin margin in a fiercely contested election. This victory marked a dramatic electoral comeback for Lula da Silva.
As the 35th president of Brazil from 2003 to 2010, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a politician and trade unionist from Brazil, received more than 60 million votes, breaking both his personal record from 2006 and the Brazilian record.
The election commission in Brazil reports that Lula da Silva received 50.9% of the vote versus Bolsonaro’s 49.1%, denying him a second term despite the large participation of his supporters.
In order to fight poverty and elevate the status of the country’s working class, Lula implemented significant social programs throughout his term in office, such as Bolsa Familia and Fome Zero. These actions to better the lives of citizens won him widespread adoration.
In 2017, Lula was found guilty of money laundering and corruption. He was sentenced to a nine-and-a-half-year prison term. Lula was detained in April 2018 and imprisoned for 580 days. He attempted to run for president in 2018, but the “Clean Slate” Law of Brazil barred him from participating in the election.
In November 2019, the Supreme Federal Court declared that incarcerations with ongoing appeals were illegal, and Lula was released as a result. In March 2021, Supreme Court Justice Edson Fachin declared that all of Lula’s convictions should be overturned since he was convicted by a court that lacked jurisdiction over his case.
More Insight on Lula’s Victory…
Brazil has recently been more divided politically, as evidenced by the razor-thin race. Although the voting process was mainly peaceful, there were a number of violent incidents during the campaign, and officials have reported that at least four da Silva supporters were killed by Bolsonaro supporters.
Bolsonaro had not made any public statements or conceded defeat, even hours after the results were made public. Videos posted to social media at the same time revealed that his followers had obstructed highways in two states in an effort to challenge Lula da Silva’s victory.
According to CNN Brazil, Lula da Silva thanked all Brazilians in a speech to supporters on Sunday night. He said, “The people who voted for me, the people who voted for the opponent, who went to the polls, who consented to fulfill their civilizing commitment of citizenship, I want to congratulate you.”
He added, “And, above all, I want to congratulate the people who voted for me because I consider myself a citizen who had a process of resurrection in Brazilian politics because they tried to bury me alive and I’m here.”
Da Silva has pledged to raise the minimum wage and revive the economy, which has been in decline ever since the COVID-19 pandemic struck Brazil and claimed approximately 700,000 lives, the second-highest death toll in the history of the globe behind the United States. The Amazon rainforest will also be protected, as deforestation there reached a 15-year high under Bolsonaro.
Still on the News…
World leaders praised Lula da Silva for winning, describing his win as a “time of hope.”
United States President Joe Biden, described the election as “free, fair, and credible” and expressed his desire to maintain bilateral collaboration in the months and years to come.
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his “sincere greetings” in a congratulatory telegram on Monday to the Brazilian president-elect, adding that “the voting results show da Silva’s “high political authority.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated in a Monday tweet that he is looking forward to “working closely together to further deepen and widen our bilateral relations, as well as our cooperation on global issues.”
Justin Trudeau stated on Twitter that he is keen to work with Lula in order “to strengthen the partnership between our countries, to deliver results for Canadians and Brazilians, and to advance shared priorities like protecting the environment.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa congratulated Lula on “his successful election to the position of President of the Republic of Brazil.” Ramaphosa signaled South Africa’s willingness to cooperate with “the government of Brazil under the leadership of Mr. da Silva.”
