Former Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva beat far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro making a political comeback in one of the most polarised elections in Brazilian history.
At least 99% of the votes have been counted and it indicates that Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won 50.8% of the votes polled while the firebrand right-wing president won 49.1% of the polled votes. He secured 59 million votes compared to the 57 million votes won by Jair Bolsonaro. There are 156 million eligible voters in Brazil.
Lula will take office on New Year’s Day in 2023.
Lula’s political career was overshadowed with charges of corruption in the last decade and the former president also served time in jail but a judge threw out the cases against him last year. He served 580 days in jail.
Lula has been credited for his work as president between 2002 and 2010 where his reforms lifted millions out of poverty and also made Brazil a part of international forums like BRICS and the G20.
Several news outlets reported that in many cities Lula supporters were celebrating the victory and fall of the incumbent president who is being held responsible for the poor handling of Covid-19 pandemic and the deforestation of the Amazon while also threatening the indigenous tribes that live deep inside the rainforest.
“We are going to live in new times of peace, love and hope. I will govern for 215m Brazilians … and not just for those who voted for me. There are not two Brazils. We are one country, one people – a great nation,” Lula said in his speech following his victory, according to a report by the Guardian.
He said it is in nobody’s interests to live in a Brazil that remains divided and in a constant state of war.
Lula said that his victory is a victory of a democratic movement, which transcends above the interests of parties and ideologies.
Colombia’s left-wing president Gustavo Petro and Canadian leader Justin Trudeau congratulated Lula on his victory.
There were fears that Bolsonaro could instigate his supporters to do something similar to what former US president Donald Trump did by instigating his supporters to participate in the Capitol Hill riots.
But Bolsonaro said he does not want to challenge the results. He also has not called the president-elect following his loss, news agency the Guardian reported citing far-right news outlet Antagonista.
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