Historic fourth term: Brazilian election wins give Lula da Silva dramatic comeback after close contest

A close election turns

Polls had placed the two party leaders close together ahead of the vote. Lula’s win was described as a result likely to reverberate across South America. His path to victory had appeared uncertain. Voters had grown dissatisfied with Lula and the Workers’ Party amid corruption scandals and rising prices.

A political return continues

Lula, 80, had previously been jailed from 2018 to 2019 over corruption charges. Those charges were later overturned, allowing him to contest the 2022 election, which he won against Jair Bolsonaro.

His latest victory adds another return to a political career marked by comebacks. Social changes and an expanding app-based economy had also raised questions about whether the former metalworker and union leader remained in step with informal workers.

Turnout and competing visions

Pollsters said turnout exceeded expectations and helped Lula win. Leonardo Barreto, co-founder of Think Policy, said voters preferred Lula’s familiar approach to Bolsonaro’s novelty. Barreto said voters faced a choice between change that brought uncertainty and a known course that preserved certain rights. He also warned that Bolsonaro would reduce welfare spending, reverse social gains and weaken Brazil’s sovereignty in favour of US President Donald Trump.

A regional role

The article said Trump’s State Department had led a campaign to return the Bolsonaros to power. It did not provide further details about that effort. Celso Amorim, a former foreign minister under Lula, told Reuters that Lula could provide a stabilizing influence in Latin America. Amorim described him as a balancing force for the region.