Lula Wins Fourth Term as Brazil’s President

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won a fourth term as Brazil’s president on Sunday, October 25, defeating Flávio Bolsonaro in a closely contested runoff and prompting celebrations in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Official results gave Lula 51.79% of the vote to Bolsonaro’s 48.21%. In São Paulo, thousands of Lula supporters gathered along Paulista Avenue and in central areas, waving Brazilian and Workers’ Party flags, setting off fireworks and flares, and chanting as the result became clear. Crowds also celebrated in Rio, where supporters filled streets and beachfront areas. No independently verified crowd totals were reported. Speaking to supporters in São Paulo, Lula thanked voters and said democracy had made his victory possible. He credited young people, women, teachers and workers who had campaigned for a shorter working week. He also said he intended to listen closely to the Brazilian people during his new term. The result followed a first round in which Lula had finished behind Bolsonaro. Voter abstention fell from 21.08% in the first round to 19.21% in the runoff, according to the reported figures. Lula’s allies had identified turnout among his supporters as a key opportunity...