Lula Defeats Bolsonaro in Neck-and-Neck Presidential Race

AP reports that Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s former leftist president, reclaimed the presidency of Brazil after defeating far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro in a close race.

The country’s election authority reported that Da Silva received 50.9% of the votes, while Bolsonaro was right behind with a 49.1%. Bolsonaro has yet to concede or react hours after the results. This does not come as a surprise since fears that the far-right former president may not accept defeat and challenge the results were not unfounded. Bolsonaro had repeatedly claimed that there was electoral manipulation during his campaign for reelection.

Da Silva stated that “today the only winner is the Brazilian people,” adding that “it’s the victory of a democratic movement that formed above political parties, personal interests and ideologies so that democracy came out victorious.”

Thomas Traumann, an independent political analyst who compared Sunday’s results to Biden’s 2020 victory, told AP that “the huge challenge that Lula has will be to pacify the country,” adding that “people are not only polarized on political matters but also have different values, identity, and opinions. What’s more, they don’t care about the other side’s values, identities, and opinions.”

Da Silva, a former President who left office with an approval rating above 80%, promised to increase spending on the poor, reestablish relationships with foreign governments and take bold action to eliminate illegal clear-cutting in the Amazon rainforest, says AP.