Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva secured a fourth presidential term in Brazil, defeating Flávio Bolsonaro in the October 25 runoff election with 51.79% of the valid vote, according to reporting by La Tercera.
The October runoff marked the first time since the return of direct elections in 1989 that a candidate overcame a first-round deficit to win the presidency, as reported by La Tercera. Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, had taken first place in the October 4 first round with 47.03% of valid votes, totaling over 56 million ballots. Lula trailed closely with 45.16%, representing nearly 54 million votes.
Following the first round, Lula reached slightly over 64 million total preferences in the runoff. DW.com reported that Flávio Bolsonaro subsequently fled to the United States amid money laundering accusations, joining his brother Eduardo Bolsonaro, who had previously relocated following an obstruction of justice conviction. Meanwhile, former president Jair Bolsonaro remained under house arrest over allegations of an attempted coup d’état, according to DW.com.
Did You Know? Lula will become the first Brazilian president in history to serve four terms when he assumes office on January 5, 2027, as detailed by La Tercera. He is about to turn 81 years old.
Analysts noted similarities to prior election cycles, recalling that between the first and second rounds of 2022 Jair Bolsonaro included 500,000 families in the Auxílio Brasil program, increased the monthly payment by 50%, delivered close to 200 dollars to truckers and taxi drivers during the fuel-price surge, and intervened directly in the state-owned oil company Petrobras to reduce prices.
Beyond fiscal policy, the campaign relied on a digital network known as the “Army of Lula,” organized by deputy André Janones through a WhatsApp channel associated with 11 million internet users.
Participants were instructed to like, comment, share, send private messages, distribute via WhatsApp, watch full videos, and reproduce the hashtags indicated by coordination to amplify campaign content. Lula and Janones later celebrated this digital mobilization during a live YouTube broadcast that drew 600,000 viewers.
Despite the presidential victory, political parties remain heavily divided; the Liberal Party (PL) secured 121 deputies and 28 senators, making it the largest force in Congress for the 2027 legislative term, according to La Tercera.
Following the validation of results by Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court, right-wing figures raised institutional challenges regarding the legitimacy of the outcome.
Lula won the October 25 runoff election with 51.79% of the valid preferences, totaling slightly over 64 million votes, according to La Tercera.
Lula is scheduled to assume his fourth presidential term on January 5, 2027, as reported by La Tercera.
According to La Tercera, the Liberal Party will operate as the primary force in the Brazilian Congress starting in 2027, holding 121 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 28 in the Senate.
How will the incoming administration manage relations with a congressional majority controlled by the opposition?
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