NEW DELHI: Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won a fourth presidential term after defeating conservative challenger Flávio Bolsonaro in Sunday’s runoff election, with the electoral authority confirming his victory and extending left-wing leadership in Latin America’s largest economy.Addressing supporters in São Paulo after his re-election, Lula said, “BRAZIL IS NO ONE’S BACKYARD,” in an apparent swipe at US influence in the region, after defeating Flávio Bolsonaro, who had advocated closer ties with the Trump administration. He also called for the regulation of digital platforms, claiming Brazil had defeated foreign intervention through them.“We need to regulate digital platforms,” Lula said, adding that his campaign had managed to counter foreign interference through digital platforms.With more than 78% of votes counted, Lula was leading with 51.21% against Bolsonaro’s 48.79%, according to Reuters’ live election coverage. Pollster Datafolha had projected Lula’s victory before the electoral authority officially confirmed the result.Meanwhile, Flávio Bolsonaro called for Brazil’s election results to be ‘annulled’ after Lula da Silva.The victory marks a setback for US President Donald Trump’s allies in Latin America. Flávio Bolsonaro, a senator and son of imprisoned former president Jair Bolsonaro, had campaigned on strengthening ties with Washington and securing better trade deals with the Trump administration.Lula, who previously governed Brazil from 2003 to 2010, had criticised US tariffs on Brazilian exports and Washington’s designation of drug-trafficking groups as foreign terrorist organisations.Lula calls for broader public participationIn his victory speech, Lula pledged to work with Brazil’s conservative-led Congress, despite political differences, and said he would govern for the entire country.“I will govern for 215 million Brazilians, we no longer have an electoral rival,” Lula said, seeking to strike a conciliatory note after a closely contested campaign that deepened political divisions.He also promised changes to the country’s governance and greater public involvement in policymaking.“We will change the way we run this country, we will make people participate more in decision-making process,” he said.Lula said his campaign had convinced voters that participating in the election was essential to protecting Brazil’s democratic institutions.“We managed to convince people that voting was extremely important to safeguard democracy in Brazil,” he said.The election pitted two sharply polarised political camps against each other, with the campaign dominated by disagreements over relations with the United States, crime, climate policy and social welfare.Lula’s victory gives Brazil and Mexico left-of-centre leadership in two of Latin America’s largest economies, while dealing a setback to conservative forces seeking closer alignment with Trump’s administration.Cost of living, crime shape campaignLula faced a challenging re-election battle amid voter concerns over the cost of living and crime. Bolsonaro made a tough-on-crime agenda central to his campaign and promised to reduce food prices, while Lula offered financial incentives to attract undecided voters.Both political camps were also dogged by corruption allegations involving allies and family members. Bolsonaro faced scrutiny over a sprawling scandal, while Lula had previously spent more than a year in prison following corruption convictions that were later annulled.The runoff was a rematch between two political forces that have divided Brazil in recent years. In the previous presidential election, Lula defeated Jair Bolsonaro by the narrowest margin since the country’s return to democracy in 1985.Flávio Bolsonaro had led Lula by more than 2.2 million votes in the first round earlier this month, setting the stage for a closely fought runoff.Lula’s supporters backed him for his record on poverty reduction and support for marginalised communities. Bolsonaro’s supporters, meanwhile, pointed to high prices and taxes and accused Lula’s political camp of corruption.Trump administration looms over tiesUS policy towards Brazil emerged as a major issue during the campaign, with Lula criticising Trump’s trade measures and approach to tackling organised crime.Flávio Bolsonaro emphasised his links with the White House and argued that Brazil needed better deals with the Trump administration, including in the rare-earth minerals sector. Brazil estimates that it holds deposits of up to 21 million tonnes of rare-earth resources, second only to China.Bolsonaro denied receiving assistance from the US government.Trump said on Sunday that he was following the Brazilian election but declined to endorse either candidate.Lula’s re-election is expected to keep disagreements over trade, US influence and regional diplomacy at the centre of relations between Brasília and Washington.
