UPDATED
Leftist leader Lula wins Brazilian election, Bolsonaro has not conceded
Brazil's former President and presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva leads the 'march of victory', in Sao Paulo, Brazil October 29, 2022. (Reuters)
Reuters, Sao Paulo/Brasilia
Published: 31 October ,2022:
Brazilian leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva narrowly defeated President Jair Bolsonaro in a runoff election, but the far-right incumbent did not concede defeat on Sunday night, raising concerns that he might contest the result.
The Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) declared Lula the next president, with 50.9 percent of votes against 49.1 percent for Bolsonaro. The 77-year-old Lula’s inauguration is scheduled for January 1.
It was a stunning comeback for the leftist former president and a punishing blow to Bolsonaro, the first Brazilian incumbent to lose a presidential election.
“So far, Bolsonaro has not called me to recognize my victory, and I don’t know if he will call or if he will recognize my victory,” Lula told tens of thousands of jubilant supporters celebrating his win on Sao Paulo’s Paulista Ave.
A source in the Bolsonaro campaign told Reuters the president would not make public remarks until Monday. The Bolsonaro campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Bolsonaro last year openly discussed refusing to accept the results of the vote, making baseless claims that Brazil’s electronic voting system was vulnerable to fraud.
One close Bolsonaro ally, lawmaker Carla Zambelli, in an apparent nod to the results, wrote on Twitter, “ I promise you, I will be the greatest opposition that Lula has ever imagined.”
Financial markets might be in for a volatile week, with investors gauging speculation about Lula’s cabinet and the risk of Bolsonaro questioning results.
The vote was a rebuke for the fiery far-right populism of Bolsonaro, who emerged from the back benches of Congress to forge a novel conservative coalition but lost support as Brazil ran up one of the worst death tolls of the COVID-19 pandemic.
US President Joe Biden congratulated Lula for winning “free, fair and credible elections,” joining a chorus of compliments from European and Latin American leaders.
International election observers said Sunday’s election was conducted efficiently. One observer told Reuters that military auditors did not find any flaws in integrity tests they did of the voting system.
Truck drivers believed to be Bolsonaro supporters on Sunday blocked a highway in four places in the state of Mato Grosso, a major grains producer, according to the highway operator.
In one video circulating online, a man said truckers planned to block the country’s main highways, calling for a military coup to prevent Lula from taking office.
Pink tide rising
Lula’s win consolidates a new “pink tide” in Latin America, after landmark leftist victories in Colombia and Chile’s elections, echoing a regional political shift two decades ago that introduced Lula to the world stage.
He has vowed a return to state-driven economic growth and social policies that helped lift millions out of poverty during two terms as president from 2003 to 2010. He also promises to combat destruction of the Amazon rainforest, now at a 15-year high, and make Brazil a leader in global climate talks.
“These were four years of hatred, of negation of science,” Ana Valeria Doria, 60, a doctor in Rio de Janeiro who celebrated with a drink. “It won’t be easy for Lula to manage the division in this country. But for now it’s pure happiness.”
A former union leader born into poverty, Lula organized strikes against Brazil’s military government in the 1970s. His two-term presidency was marked by a commodity-driven economic boom and he left office with record popularity.
However, his Workers Party was later tarred by a deep recession and a record-breaking corruption scandal that jailed him for 19 months on bribery convictions, which were overturned by the Supreme Court last year.
Read more:
Brazil election enters runoff as Bolsonaro dashes Lula’s hope of quick win
Lula leads Bolsonaro in Brazil election as first votes tallied
Brazil's former President and presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva leads the 'march of victory', in Sao Paulo, Brazil October 29, 2022. (Reuters)
Reuters, Sao Paulo/Brasilia
Published: 31 October ,2022:
Brazilian leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva narrowly defeated President Jair Bolsonaro in a runoff election, but the far-right incumbent did not concede defeat on Sunday night, raising concerns that he might contest the result.
The Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) declared Lula the next president, with 50.9 percent of votes against 49.1 percent for Bolsonaro. The 77-year-old Lula’s inauguration is scheduled for January 1.
It was a stunning comeback for the leftist former president and a punishing blow to Bolsonaro, the first Brazilian incumbent to lose a presidential election.
“So far, Bolsonaro has not called me to recognize my victory, and I don’t know if he will call or if he will recognize my victory,” Lula told tens of thousands of jubilant supporters celebrating his win on Sao Paulo’s Paulista Ave.
A source in the Bolsonaro campaign told Reuters the president would not make public remarks until Monday. The Bolsonaro campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Bolsonaro last year openly discussed refusing to accept the results of the vote, making baseless claims that Brazil’s electronic voting system was vulnerable to fraud.
One close Bolsonaro ally, lawmaker Carla Zambelli, in an apparent nod to the results, wrote on Twitter, “ I promise you, I will be the greatest opposition that Lula has ever imagined.”
Financial markets might be in for a volatile week, with investors gauging speculation about Lula’s cabinet and the risk of Bolsonaro questioning results.
The vote was a rebuke for the fiery far-right populism of Bolsonaro, who emerged from the back benches of Congress to forge a novel conservative coalition but lost support as Brazil ran up one of the worst death tolls of the COVID-19 pandemic.
US President Joe Biden congratulated Lula for winning “free, fair and credible elections,” joining a chorus of compliments from European and Latin American leaders.
International election observers said Sunday’s election was conducted efficiently. One observer told Reuters that military auditors did not find any flaws in integrity tests they did of the voting system.
Truck drivers believed to be Bolsonaro supporters on Sunday blocked a highway in four places in the state of Mato Grosso, a major grains producer, according to the highway operator.
In one video circulating online, a man said truckers planned to block the country’s main highways, calling for a military coup to prevent Lula from taking office.
Pink tide rising
Lula’s win consolidates a new “pink tide” in Latin America, after landmark leftist victories in Colombia and Chile’s elections, echoing a regional political shift two decades ago that introduced Lula to the world stage.
He has vowed a return to state-driven economic growth and social policies that helped lift millions out of poverty during two terms as president from 2003 to 2010. He also promises to combat destruction of the Amazon rainforest, now at a 15-year high, and make Brazil a leader in global climate talks.
“These were four years of hatred, of negation of science,” Ana Valeria Doria, 60, a doctor in Rio de Janeiro who celebrated with a drink. “It won’t be easy for Lula to manage the division in this country. But for now it’s pure happiness.”
A former union leader born into poverty, Lula organized strikes against Brazil’s military government in the 1970s. His two-term presidency was marked by a commodity-driven economic boom and he left office with record popularity.
However, his Workers Party was later tarred by a deep recession and a record-breaking corruption scandal that jailed him for 19 months on bribery convictions, which were overturned by the Supreme Court last year.
Read more:
Brazil election enters runoff as Bolsonaro dashes Lula’s hope of quick win
Lula leads Bolsonaro in Brazil election as first votes tallied
Lula defeats Bolsonaro to again become Brazil’s president
BY MAURICIO SAVERESE AND DIANE JEANTET | ASSOCIATED PRESS -
10/30/22 7:26 PM ET
Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for president again, smiles after voting in a run-off presidential election in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s electoral authority said Sunday that Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the leftist Worker’s Party defeated incumbent Jair Bolsonaro to become the country’s next president.
With 98.8% of the votes tallied in the runoff vote, da Silva had 50.8% and Bolsonaro 49.2%, and the election authority said da Silva’s victory was a mathematical certainty.
Da Silva — the country’s former president from 2003-2010 — has promised to restore the country’s more prosperous past, yet faces faces headwinds in a polarized society.
It is a stunning return to power for da Silva, 77, whose 2018 imprisonment over a corruption scandal sidelined him from that year’s election, paving the way for then-candidate Bolsonaro’s win and four years of far-right politics.
His victory marks the first time since Brazil’s 1985 return to democracy that the sitting president has failed to win reelection. His inauguration is scheduled to take place on Jan. 1.
Thomas Traumann, an independent political analyst, compared the results to U.S. President Joe Biden’s 2020 victory, saying da Silva is inheriting an extremely divided nation.
“The huge challenge that Lula has will be to pacify the country,” he said. “People are not only polarized on political matters, but also have different values, identity and opinions. What’s more, they don’t care what the other side’s values, identities and opinions are.”
Bolsonaro had been leading throughout the first half of the count and, as soon as da Silva overtook him, cars in the streets of downtown Sao Paulo began honking their horns. People in the streets of Rio de Janeiro’s Ipanema neighborhood could be heard shouting, “It turned!”
Da Silva’s headquarters in downtown Sao Paulo hotel only erupted once the final result was announced, underscoring the tension that was a hallmark of this race.
“Four years waiting for this,” said Gabriela Souto, one of the few supporters allowed in due to heavy security.
Outside Bolsonaro’s home in Rio de Janeiro, ground-zero for his support base, a woman atop a truck delivered a prayer over a speaker, then sang excitedly, trying to generate some energy. But supporters decked out in the green and yellow of the flag barely responded. Many perked up when the national anthem played, singing along loudly with hands over their hearts.
Most opinion polls before the election gave a lead to da Silva, universally known as Lula, though political analysts agreed the race grew increasingly tight in recent weeks.
For months, it appeared that da Silva was headed for easy victory as he kindled nostalgia for his presidency, when Brazil’s economy was booming and welfare helped tens of millions join the middle class.
But while da Silva topped the Oct. 2 first-round elections with 48% of the vote, Bolsonaro was a strong second at 43%, showing opinion polls significantly underestimated his popularity. Many Brazilians support Bolsonaro’s defense of conservative social values and he shored up support in an election year with vast government spending.
Bolsonaro’s administration has been marked by incendiary speech, his testing of democratic institutions, his widely criticized handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the worst deforestation in the Amazon rainforest in 15 years. But he has built a devoted base by defending conservative values and presenting himself as protection from leftist policies that he says infringe on personal liberties and produce economic turmoil.
Da Silva is credited with building an extensive social welfare program during his 2003-2010 tenure that helped lift tens of millions into the middle class as well as presiding over an economic boom. The man universally known as Lula left office with an approval rating above 80%; then U.S. President Barack Obama called him “the most popular politician on Earth.”
But he is also remembered for his administration’s involvement in vast corruption revealed by sprawling investigations. Da Silva’s arrest in 2018 kept him out of that year’s race against Bolsonaro, a fringe lawmaker at the time who was an outspoken fan of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Da Silva was jailed for for 580 days for corruption and money laundering. His convictions were later annulled by Brazil’s top court, which ruled the presiding judge had been biased and colluded with prosecutors. That enabled da Silva to run for the nation’s highest office for the sixth time.
For months, it appeared that he was headed for easy victory as he kindled nostalgia for his presidency, when the economy was booming and welfare helped tens of millions join the middle class. But results from an Oct. 2 first-round vote — da Silva got 48% and Bolsonaro 43% — showed opinion polls had significantly underestimated Bolsonaro’s resilience and popularity. He shored up support, in part, with vast government spending.
Da Silva has pledged to boost spending on the poor, reestablish relationships with foreign governments and take bold action to eliminate illegal clear-cutting in the Amazon rainforest.
He hasn’t provided specific plans on how he will achieve those goals, and faces many challenges. The president-elect will be confronted by strong opposition from conservative lawmakers likely to take their cues from Bolsonaro.
Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper University in Sao Paulo, compared the likely political climate to that experienced by former President Dilma Rousseff, da Silva’s hand-picked successor after his second term.
“Lula’s victory means Brazil is trying to overcome years of turbulence since the reelection of President Dilma Rousseff in 2014. That election never ended; the opposition asked for a recount, she governed under pressure and was impeached two years later,” said Melo. “The divide became huge and then made Bolsonaro.”
Unemployment this year has fallen to its lowest level since 2015 and, although overall inflation has slowed during the campaign, food prices are increasing at a double-digit rate. Bolsonaro’s welfare payments helped many Brazilians get by, but da Silva has been presenting himself as the candidate more willing to sustain aid going forward and raise the minimum wage.
Da Silva has also pledged to put a halt to illegal deforestation in the Amazon, and once again has prominent environmentalalist Marina Silva by his side, years after a public falling out when she was his environment minister. The president-elect has already pledged to install a ministry for Brazil’s orginal peoples, which will be run by an Indigenous person.Two Americans were killed in Seoul Halloween crowd crushSeriously low diesel supply threatens to worsen inflation
In April, he tapped center-right Geraldo Alckmin, a former rival, to be his running mate. It was another key part of an effort to create a broad, pro-democracy front to not just unseat Bolsonaro, but to make it easier to govern. Da Silva mended also has drawn support from Sen. Simone Tebet, a moderate who finished in third place in the election’s first round.
“If Lula manages to talk to voters who didn’t vote for him, which Bolsonaro never tried, and seeks negotiated solutions to the economic, social and political crisis we have, and links with other nations that were lost, then he could reconnect Brazil to a time in which people could disagree and still get some things done,” Melo said.
The highly polarized election in Brazil, the biggest economy in Latin America, extended a wave of recent leftist victories in South America, including Chile, Colombia and Argentina.
Biden congratulates Lula on victory over Trump-backed Bolsonaro in Brazil
Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for president again, smiles after voting in a run-off presidential election in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s electoral authority said Sunday that Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the leftist Worker’s Party defeated incumbent Jair Bolsonaro to become the country’s next president.
With 98.8% of the votes tallied in the runoff vote, da Silva had 50.8% and Bolsonaro 49.2%, and the election authority said da Silva’s victory was a mathematical certainty.
Da Silva — the country’s former president from 2003-2010 — has promised to restore the country’s more prosperous past, yet faces faces headwinds in a polarized society.
It is a stunning return to power for da Silva, 77, whose 2018 imprisonment over a corruption scandal sidelined him from that year’s election, paving the way for then-candidate Bolsonaro’s win and four years of far-right politics.
His victory marks the first time since Brazil’s 1985 return to democracy that the sitting president has failed to win reelection. His inauguration is scheduled to take place on Jan. 1.
Thomas Traumann, an independent political analyst, compared the results to U.S. President Joe Biden’s 2020 victory, saying da Silva is inheriting an extremely divided nation.
“The huge challenge that Lula has will be to pacify the country,” he said. “People are not only polarized on political matters, but also have different values, identity and opinions. What’s more, they don’t care what the other side’s values, identities and opinions are.”
Bolsonaro had been leading throughout the first half of the count and, as soon as da Silva overtook him, cars in the streets of downtown Sao Paulo began honking their horns. People in the streets of Rio de Janeiro’s Ipanema neighborhood could be heard shouting, “It turned!”
Da Silva’s headquarters in downtown Sao Paulo hotel only erupted once the final result was announced, underscoring the tension that was a hallmark of this race.
“Four years waiting for this,” said Gabriela Souto, one of the few supporters allowed in due to heavy security.
Outside Bolsonaro’s home in Rio de Janeiro, ground-zero for his support base, a woman atop a truck delivered a prayer over a speaker, then sang excitedly, trying to generate some energy. But supporters decked out in the green and yellow of the flag barely responded. Many perked up when the national anthem played, singing along loudly with hands over their hearts.
Most opinion polls before the election gave a lead to da Silva, universally known as Lula, though political analysts agreed the race grew increasingly tight in recent weeks.
For months, it appeared that da Silva was headed for easy victory as he kindled nostalgia for his presidency, when Brazil’s economy was booming and welfare helped tens of millions join the middle class.
But while da Silva topped the Oct. 2 first-round elections with 48% of the vote, Bolsonaro was a strong second at 43%, showing opinion polls significantly underestimated his popularity. Many Brazilians support Bolsonaro’s defense of conservative social values and he shored up support in an election year with vast government spending.
Bolsonaro’s administration has been marked by incendiary speech, his testing of democratic institutions, his widely criticized handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the worst deforestation in the Amazon rainforest in 15 years. But he has built a devoted base by defending conservative values and presenting himself as protection from leftist policies that he says infringe on personal liberties and produce economic turmoil.
Da Silva is credited with building an extensive social welfare program during his 2003-2010 tenure that helped lift tens of millions into the middle class as well as presiding over an economic boom. The man universally known as Lula left office with an approval rating above 80%; then U.S. President Barack Obama called him “the most popular politician on Earth.”
But he is also remembered for his administration’s involvement in vast corruption revealed by sprawling investigations. Da Silva’s arrest in 2018 kept him out of that year’s race against Bolsonaro, a fringe lawmaker at the time who was an outspoken fan of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Da Silva was jailed for for 580 days for corruption and money laundering. His convictions were later annulled by Brazil’s top court, which ruled the presiding judge had been biased and colluded with prosecutors. That enabled da Silva to run for the nation’s highest office for the sixth time.
For months, it appeared that he was headed for easy victory as he kindled nostalgia for his presidency, when the economy was booming and welfare helped tens of millions join the middle class. But results from an Oct. 2 first-round vote — da Silva got 48% and Bolsonaro 43% — showed opinion polls had significantly underestimated Bolsonaro’s resilience and popularity. He shored up support, in part, with vast government spending.
Da Silva has pledged to boost spending on the poor, reestablish relationships with foreign governments and take bold action to eliminate illegal clear-cutting in the Amazon rainforest.
He hasn’t provided specific plans on how he will achieve those goals, and faces many challenges. The president-elect will be confronted by strong opposition from conservative lawmakers likely to take their cues from Bolsonaro.
Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper University in Sao Paulo, compared the likely political climate to that experienced by former President Dilma Rousseff, da Silva’s hand-picked successor after his second term.
“Lula’s victory means Brazil is trying to overcome years of turbulence since the reelection of President Dilma Rousseff in 2014. That election never ended; the opposition asked for a recount, she governed under pressure and was impeached two years later,” said Melo. “The divide became huge and then made Bolsonaro.”
Unemployment this year has fallen to its lowest level since 2015 and, although overall inflation has slowed during the campaign, food prices are increasing at a double-digit rate. Bolsonaro’s welfare payments helped many Brazilians get by, but da Silva has been presenting himself as the candidate more willing to sustain aid going forward and raise the minimum wage.
Da Silva has also pledged to put a halt to illegal deforestation in the Amazon, and once again has prominent environmentalalist Marina Silva by his side, years after a public falling out when she was his environment minister. The president-elect has already pledged to install a ministry for Brazil’s orginal peoples, which will be run by an Indigenous person.Two Americans were killed in Seoul Halloween crowd crushSeriously low diesel supply threatens to worsen inflation
In April, he tapped center-right Geraldo Alckmin, a former rival, to be his running mate. It was another key part of an effort to create a broad, pro-democracy front to not just unseat Bolsonaro, but to make it easier to govern. Da Silva mended also has drawn support from Sen. Simone Tebet, a moderate who finished in third place in the election’s first round.
“If Lula manages to talk to voters who didn’t vote for him, which Bolsonaro never tried, and seeks negotiated solutions to the economic, social and political crisis we have, and links with other nations that were lost, then he could reconnect Brazil to a time in which people could disagree and still get some things done,” Melo said.
The highly polarized election in Brazil, the biggest economy in Latin America, extended a wave of recent leftist victories in South America, including Chile, Colombia and Argentina.
Biden congratulates Lula on victory over Trump-backed Bolsonaro in Brazil
BY COLIN MEYN - 10/30/22 8:38 PM ET
A demonstrator dressed in the colors of the Brazilian flag performs in front of a street vendor’s towels for sale featuring Brazilian presidential candidates, current President Jair Bolsonaro, center, and former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in Brasilia, Brazil, Sept. 27, 2022. Brazil is days from a historic presidential election set for Oct. 30 featuring two political titans and bitter rivals that could usher in another four years of far-right politics or return a leftist to the nation’s top job.
A demonstrator dressed in the colors of the Brazilian flag performs in front of a street vendor’s towels for sale featuring Brazilian presidential candidates, current President Jair Bolsonaro, center, and former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in Brasilia, Brazil, Sept. 27, 2022. Brazil is days from a historic presidential election set for Oct. 30 featuring two political titans and bitter rivals that could usher in another four years of far-right politics or return a leftist to the nation’s top job.
(AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File)
President Biden on Sunday congratulated Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for his victory in Brazil’s presidential election, beating incumbent Jair Bolsonaro, who was backed by former President Donald Trump.
Bolsonaro, like Trump, has sowed doubt about the integrity of his country’s election system. Biden called Brazil’s election “free, fair, and credible” in his statement Sunday.
“I look forward to working together to continue the cooperation between our two countries in the months and years ahead,” Biden said of Lula.
With nearly 100 percent of votes counted Sunday night, Lula had 50.9 percent of the vote compared to 49.1 percent for Bolsonaro.
The former and incumbent presidents were the top two candidates in a general election earlier this month, advancing to Sunday’s runoff.
Lula was previously president of Brazil from 2003 to 2010, leading his left-wing Workers’ Party to soaring popularity.
However, after leaving office he was swept up in a massive corruption scandal that landed him in prison for 19 months. A Supreme Court justice nullified his convictions in March 2021, clearing him to run for president again.
Bolsonaro has been called “Trump of the tropics” and has been a deeply divisive president, battling with the country’s Supreme Court, overseeing massive clearcutting of the Amazon rainforest and spreading skepticism about COVID-19 and vaccines.
Trump on Sunday morning urged Brazilian voters to return Bolsonaro to the president’s office.
“To the People of Brazil, this is your big day, and also, a big day for the World. Your GREAT and Highly Respected President, Jair Bolsonaro, needs you to get out and Vote, TODAY, so that your Country can continue on its incredible path of success,” Trump wrote.
“Don’t let the Radical Left Lunatics & Maniacs destroy Brazil like they have so many other countries.”
Lula promised tax hikes on the rich and increased government services for the poor during the campaign, but has offered few specifics.
Bolsonaro’s warnings about election fraud have spurred concern that he will refuse to accept his loss on Sunday.
President Biden on Sunday congratulated Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for his victory in Brazil’s presidential election, beating incumbent Jair Bolsonaro, who was backed by former President Donald Trump.
Bolsonaro, like Trump, has sowed doubt about the integrity of his country’s election system. Biden called Brazil’s election “free, fair, and credible” in his statement Sunday.
“I look forward to working together to continue the cooperation between our two countries in the months and years ahead,” Biden said of Lula.
With nearly 100 percent of votes counted Sunday night, Lula had 50.9 percent of the vote compared to 49.1 percent for Bolsonaro.
The former and incumbent presidents were the top two candidates in a general election earlier this month, advancing to Sunday’s runoff.
Lula was previously president of Brazil from 2003 to 2010, leading his left-wing Workers’ Party to soaring popularity.
However, after leaving office he was swept up in a massive corruption scandal that landed him in prison for 19 months. A Supreme Court justice nullified his convictions in March 2021, clearing him to run for president again.
Bolsonaro has been called “Trump of the tropics” and has been a deeply divisive president, battling with the country’s Supreme Court, overseeing massive clearcutting of the Amazon rainforest and spreading skepticism about COVID-19 and vaccines.
Trump on Sunday morning urged Brazilian voters to return Bolsonaro to the president’s office.
“To the People of Brazil, this is your big day, and also, a big day for the World. Your GREAT and Highly Respected President, Jair Bolsonaro, needs you to get out and Vote, TODAY, so that your Country can continue on its incredible path of success,” Trump wrote.
“Don’t let the Radical Left Lunatics & Maniacs destroy Brazil like they have so many other countries.”
Lula promised tax hikes on the rich and increased government services for the poor during the campaign, but has offered few specifics.
Bolsonaro’s warnings about election fraud have spurred concern that he will refuse to accept his loss on Sunday.
Live: Brazil’s Lula defeats incumbent Bolsonaro in presidential runoff
Issued on: 30/10/2022 - 20:40
Brazil's former President and presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks at an election night gathering on the day of the Brazilian presidential election run-off, in Sao Paulo, Brazil October 30, 2022 © Carla Carniel, Reuters
Text by: FRANCE 24
Issued on: 30/10/2022 - 20:40
Brazil's former President and presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks at an election night gathering on the day of the Brazilian presidential election run-off, in Sao Paulo, Brazil October 30, 2022 © Carla Carniel, Reuters
Text by: FRANCE 24
Leftist Luis Inacio Lula da Silva on Sunday defeated President Jair Bolsonaro in an election runoff that marked a stunning comeback for Lula and the end of Brazil’s most right-wing government in decades. Follow FRANCE 24’s live coverage of the vote and its outcome.
Discover our webdocumentary: Lula vs Bolsonaro © Studio Graphique - France Médias Monde- Brazil’s election authority called the race for former leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva shortly before midnight Paris time, saying the result was “mathematically defined.” With 99 percent of votes counted, the former president has 50.9 percent of the vote to Bolsonaro’s 49.1 percent.
- More than 156 million Brazilians were eligible to vote in the 2022 presidential election.
- For several months, polls have predicted a third term for Lula, but the gap narrowed in recent weeks.
- The campaign ahead of Sunday’s vote was marked by bruising debates, with the two candidates accusing each other of lying and offering starkly different visions for the future of Latin America’s largest democracy.
Lula confirms that Bolsonaro hasn’t called to congratulate him
Via HuffPost reporter Travis Waldron:
Congratulations quickly pour in for Brazil's Lula
Leaders from the United States, France and other western and regional nations quickly offered congratulations Sunday to Brazil’s president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva after his narrow victory was announced.Congratulations came from across the Americas, with leaders ranging from the US’s Joe Biden to Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro swiftly sending the Brazilian president-elect their well wishes. Canada’s Justin Trudeau and Mexico’s Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador sent their congratulations, as did a swath of left-wing leaders from across Central and South America.Lula’s victory over far-right president Jair Bolsonaro leaves Brazil joining Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Chile and Peru in a growing leftist bloc and consolidating what some are calling a new “pink tide” in the region.Congratulations also came from Europe and beyond, with Emmanuel Macron of France, Pedro Sanchez of Spain, and Antonio Costa of Portugal sending messages of support on Twitter.- an hour agoTruckers are reportedly blocking the BR-163 highway in Brazil’s Mato Grosso state — a major corridor for agricultural exports including soybeans — and saying that they don’t accept Lula’s victory.Via Globo newspaper:
- 3 hours ago
- 3 hours ago“Democracy,” Lula tweeted shortly after his election victory. His account has since been filled with congratulations from world leaders.Bolsonaro has yet to react publicly to the results.
- 4 hours ago
Lula promises to unite a divided Brazil, seek fair global trade
Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Sunday promised to unite a divided country in a speech after defeating incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in a runoff presidential vote.Lula also invited international cooperation to preserve the Amazon rainforest and said he will seek fair global trade rather than trade deals that “condemn our country to be an eternal exporter of raw materials.”Lula called for “peace and unity” in bitterly divided Brazil, saying the country was no longer an international pariah and highlighting the need for a “living Amazon”.“It is in no one’s interest to live in a divided nation in a permanent state of war,” the 77-year-old leftist said in his victory speech, vowing to serve all 215 million Brazilians, and not only those who voted for him.“Today we tell the world that Brazil is back,” he said, adding that the country is “ready to take back its place in the fight against the climate crisis, especially the Amazon.”
Lula was speaking at an election-night gathering in Sao Paulo. © Carla Caniel, Reuters - 4 hours ago
‘Incredibly tense’ scene outside Bolsonaro HQ after he loses election to Lula
Shouting, anger, and fighting have broken out at Bolsonaro’s campaign headquarters after the official result was announced. FRANCE 24’s Jan Onosko reports. - 4 hours ago
Biden congratulates Lula for winning ‘free, fair’ Brazil election
US President Joe Biden on Sunday congratulated Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for his victory in “free, fair and credible elections,” in a statement adding that he looks forward to continued cooperation between the countries. - 5 hours ago
‘Carnival has come early’ for Lula supporters
“It reminds me a little bit of the idealism that the older generation had when they were fighting the military dictatorship,” says FRANCE 24’s Tim Vickery, reporting from Lula’s campaign headquarters in Rio. Bolsonaro is the first incumbent not to win reelection in Brazil since reelection was allowed in the 1990s. - 5 hours ago
France’s Macron congratulates Lula on election win
“Congratulations… on your election, which opens a new page in the history of Brazil. Together, we will join forces to meet the many common challenges and renew the bond of friendship between our two countries,” the French president wrote on Twitter. - 5 hours ago
🔴 Brazil’s Lula defeats incumbent Bolsonaro in presidential runoff, election authority says
Brazil’s Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) on Sunday said the country’s presidential election was “mathematically defined” with former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva taking more votes than incumbent Jair Bolsonaro.Lula had 50.8% of votes compared with 49.2% for Bolsonaro with 98.8% of voting machines voting machines counted, according to date published on the TSE website. - 5 hours ago
Lula poised to win Brazil election in ‘remarkable comeback’
Lula’s lead is solidifying with 95 percent of votes counted, but the threat of violence still hangs over the race — and Lula faces even stiffer challenges ahead if his win is confirmed, says FRANCE 24’s Tim Vickery, reporting live from Rio de Janeiro. - 6 hours ago
Pollster Datafolha calls election for Lula with 95% of votes counted
The polling firm called the election with 95% of the votes counted in Latin America’s largest country. The official count stood at 50.7% of votes for Lula against 49.3% for Bolsonaro. - Brazil's new leader Lula rises from ashes
- at 77
- Author: AFP|Update: 31.10.2022
Former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva -- who is seeking another term in 2022 -- was once called 'the most popular politician on Earth' by no less than Barack Obama / © AFP/File
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who rose from poverty to Brazil's presidency before crashing into disgrace in a corruption scandal, made a spectacular comeback as leader of Latin America's biggest economy at the age of 77.
Lula, as he is affectionately known, scraped ahead of far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro to win a third term at the helm, election authorities confirmed.
Just 18 months ago, the bearded leftist hero with the trademark raspy voice was a political pariah, imprisoned in a corruption scandal that divided the nation.
Disgust with his Workers' Party (PT) propelled Bolsonaro into office in 2018, however the vitriolic and divisive conservative quickly lost popularity as he oversaw Covid-19 carnage, environmental destruction, and made comments criticized as racist, sexist and homophobic.
"We need to fix this country... so the Brazilian people can smile again," Lula said during a tireless campaign in which he crisscrossed the country and appeared on popular podcasts to lure younger voters.
He vowed that under his rule, Brazilians will be able to get back to "eating picanha and drinking beer" on the weekends, referring to the popular cut of beef that high inflation put out of reach for many.
The comments reveal the renowned political skill and folksy touch that endeared him to many across the globe, with Barack Obama once dubbing him "the most popular politician on Earth."
The charismatic Lula was the slight favorite throughout a lengthy and polarizing election campaign.
However the election came down to the wire, with Bolsonaro snapping at his heels until the last.
- Fall from grace -
Lula left office in 2010 as a blue-collar hero who presided over a commodity-fueled economic boom that helped lift 30 million people out of poverty.
Despite fears at the time that his brand of leftism would be too radical, Lula's 2003-2010 administration mixed trailblazing social programs with market-friendly economic policy.
Brazil elections: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva / © AFP
He gained a reputation as a moderate and pragmatic leader.
Lula also turned Brazil into a key player on the international stage, helping secure it the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
At the end of his time in office, his approval rating stood at an unprecedented 87 percent.
But he then became mired in a massive corruption scandal centered on state-run oil company Petrobras that engulfed some of Brazil's most influential politicians, business executives and the PT.
Lula has always denied the accusations that he received kickbacks for giving out access to juicy Petrobras contracts.
He was jailed in 2018, the year Bolsonaro won. He spent more than 18 months in prison before being freed pending appeal.
His convictions were thrown out last year by the Supreme Court, which found the lead judge on the case was biased.
However, he was not exonerated. Many Brazilians remain traumatized by the scale of the corruption scandal. While many others have fond memories of economic prosperity under his rule, others voted for him merely to see the back of Bolsonaro.
- From poverty to president -
Lula grew up in deep poverty, the seventh of eight children born to a family of illiterate farmers in the arid northeastern state of Pernambuco.
When he was seven, his family joined a wave of migration to the industrial heartland of Sao Paulo.
Lula worked as a shoeshine boy and peanut vendor before becoming a metalworker at the tender age of 14.
In the 1960s, he lost a finger in a workplace accident.
He rose quickly to become head of his trade union, and led major strikes in the 1970s that challenged the then-military dictatorship.
In 1980, he co-founded the Workers' Party, standing as its candidate for president nine years later.
Lula lost three presidential bids from 1989 to 1998, finally succeeding in 2002 and again four years later.
This was his sixth presidential campaign.
The twice-widowed father of five survived throat cancer and in 2017 lost his wife of four decades, Marisa Leticia Rocco, to a stroke.
Lula has said he is again "in love as if I were 20 years old" with Rosangela "Janja" da Silva, a sociologist and PT activist whom he married in May.
Lula has said he will not seek a second term.
In Amazon, Indigenous voters wear Lula support painted on faces
Orlando JUNIOR
Sun, October 30, 2022 a
In the Brazilian Amazon, members of an Indigenous community painted their faces and put on traditional feather headdresses as they set out to vote Sunday in the hard-fought presidential runoff election.
The Satere-Mawe people of the village of Sahu-Ape say it is important to them to participate in what many are calling the most important elections in Brazil's recent history.
They set out on foot from their wood houses for the county seat, Iranduba, 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Manaus, the capital of the northern state of Amazonas.
But before going to their polling station, they paint red and black arrows on their faces, a symbol of their mission: unseat far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and elect veteran leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The Satere-Mawe men wear feather headdresses, the women colorful feather earrings.
As they leave the village, Beth da Silva blows into a "rurru," an Indigenous instrument traditionally used in war rituals.
This time, "it's not to ask for strength, it's to help us achieve our goal: elect Lula and change Brazil," she says.
"We've suffered a lot these past four years."
A community shaman, Sahu da Silva, 42, says it is "very important" for ex-president Lula (2003-2010) to win a third term.
"He at least tried to protect our ancestral lands," he says.
Bolsonaro, by contrast, came to office in 2019 vowing not to allow "one more centimeter" of protected Indigenous reservations in Brazil.
Indigenous Brazilians have been fierce critics of the conservative ex-army captain, who has presided over a surge of destruction and fires in the Amazon, the world's biggest rainforest and a key resource in the race to curb global warming -- as well as the livelihood of many Indigenous peoples.
"Lula knows how much we need a better quality of life," says Zelinda Araujo, 27.
"That man who's in power now, he doesn't even look at us lowly little people. He doesn't know what we need in our daily lives."
Lula, an ex-metalworker who grew up in poverty, "is different," she says.
"He knows what it is to struggle every day. He knows how hard it is for us."
bur-lab/jhb/dw
Orlando JUNIOR
Sun, October 30, 2022 a
In the Brazilian Amazon, members of an Indigenous community painted their faces and put on traditional feather headdresses as they set out to vote Sunday in the hard-fought presidential runoff election.
The Satere-Mawe people of the village of Sahu-Ape say it is important to them to participate in what many are calling the most important elections in Brazil's recent history.
They set out on foot from their wood houses for the county seat, Iranduba, 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Manaus, the capital of the northern state of Amazonas.
But before going to their polling station, they paint red and black arrows on their faces, a symbol of their mission: unseat far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and elect veteran leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The Satere-Mawe men wear feather headdresses, the women colorful feather earrings.
As they leave the village, Beth da Silva blows into a "rurru," an Indigenous instrument traditionally used in war rituals.
This time, "it's not to ask for strength, it's to help us achieve our goal: elect Lula and change Brazil," she says.
"We've suffered a lot these past four years."
A community shaman, Sahu da Silva, 42, says it is "very important" for ex-president Lula (2003-2010) to win a third term.
"He at least tried to protect our ancestral lands," he says.
Bolsonaro, by contrast, came to office in 2019 vowing not to allow "one more centimeter" of protected Indigenous reservations in Brazil.
Indigenous Brazilians have been fierce critics of the conservative ex-army captain, who has presided over a surge of destruction and fires in the Amazon, the world's biggest rainforest and a key resource in the race to curb global warming -- as well as the livelihood of many Indigenous peoples.
"Lula knows how much we need a better quality of life," says Zelinda Araujo, 27.
"That man who's in power now, he doesn't even look at us lowly little people. He doesn't know what we need in our daily lives."
Lula, an ex-metalworker who grew up in poverty, "is different," she says.
"He knows what it is to struggle every day. He knows how hard it is for us."
bur-lab/jhb/dw
At Copacabana Church, Catholic Voters Clash Over Brazil Election
By Eleonore HUGHES
10/30/22
By Eleonore HUGHES
10/30/22
People pray at Nossa Senhora de Copacabana church, in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on October 30, 2022, during the presidential run-off election
"Areal Christian votes for Lula!" a backer of the ex-president shouts at a voter for far-right President Jair Bolsonaro at a Catholic church in Rio de Janeiro, also serving as a polling station.
The atmosphere is highly charged after mass on Sunday at this church in Copacabana, as the country holds a cliffhanger vote between tainted leftist hero Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his far-right nemesis.
Joana d'Arco Perina, a member of Lula's Workers' Party (PT) and fervent Catholic, is red-faced with anger as she listens to Elizabeth de Souza defending Bolsonaro, who Perina believes has "destroyed everything."
"Lula has made a pact with the devil! Bolsonaro was sent by God to save us," retorts De Souza, who is wearing a bright yellow and green shirt, the colors of the flag of Brazil that many believe has been hijacked by the president's supporters.
Her shirt bears the slogan: "My party is Brazil."
The 69-year-old retiree is also a staunch Catholic and believes the election is a "battle between good and evil," an argument put forth by First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro, a devoted evangelical.
Religion has been at the heart of a highly polarized election campaign in the nation of 215 million people, who are mostly Catholic, but with a third belonging to burgeoning evangelical churches.
In the final poll by the Datafolha institute on Saturday, Lula, 77, was leading among Catholics with 56 percent of votes, while Bolsonaro was the favorite of evangelical Christians with 65 percent.
Both parties boosted efforts to win votes among these groups in the campaign ahead of Sunday's run-off.
Religion and traditional values have become a battleground, with Bolsonaro accusing Lula of seeking to shut churches and allow abortion, a sensitive question in the conservative country.
"Family is sacred to me," Lula said last week as he met with evangelical leaders. He has also denied plans to make abortion legal.
However, his last-ditch efforts to woo the faithful did not convince Edval Maximo, 41, who came to vote for Bolsonaro in the converted annex of the church.
"I have never heard Lula mention the word of God. He only brings it up now that he is on the campaign trail," said the green-eyed doorman of an apartment building in Rio.
"The left and the communists hate religion," he added, echoing an oft-repeated remark made by Bolsonaro.
Almost 60 percent of people polled by Datafolha said religion is crucial in their choice of candidate.
"I am against abortion. I vote for the person defending family: the 'Legend,'" said 67-year-old Magali Zimmermann, using a nickname for Bolsonaro.
However, religion is not the only factor in her choice.
"I love Copacabana, but I am scared to go out in the street because of thieves," said the resident of the well-off, touristy area which is home to many retirees.
"Bolsonaro is not perfect, but he will bring us security," added the widow, who never misses mass.
At the back of the church, Eduardo Jorge swings side to side, his hands in the air, praising God. He is one of several faithful wearing a red T-shirt, the color of the PT. However, there are more people wearing green-and-yellow.
"I believe in a God who gives," the Lula supporter says after mass.
"Bolsonaristas use their faith to defend their interests rather than the poor. We need a Brazil which offers new opportunities and doesn't exclude people," said the 53-year-old social worker.
Esther Ferreira is wearing earrings in the shape of the Brazilian flag, a sign of support for Bolsonaro. She says she is voting for him "without hesitation" and hates the left.
"I am Catholic, but he could be atheist or Jewish and I would still vote for him," she told AFP.
Wilson Rodrigues Santos has a colorful tattoo of Jesus on his forearm. However, the Lula voter said religion did not play a part in his electoral choice.
"Everything has been catastrophic under Bolsonaro. Lula needs to come back, for education, health, public service... for everything."
"Areal Christian votes for Lula!" a backer of the ex-president shouts at a voter for far-right President Jair Bolsonaro at a Catholic church in Rio de Janeiro, also serving as a polling station.
The atmosphere is highly charged after mass on Sunday at this church in Copacabana, as the country holds a cliffhanger vote between tainted leftist hero Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his far-right nemesis.
Joana d'Arco Perina, a member of Lula's Workers' Party (PT) and fervent Catholic, is red-faced with anger as she listens to Elizabeth de Souza defending Bolsonaro, who Perina believes has "destroyed everything."
"Lula has made a pact with the devil! Bolsonaro was sent by God to save us," retorts De Souza, who is wearing a bright yellow and green shirt, the colors of the flag of Brazil that many believe has been hijacked by the president's supporters.
Her shirt bears the slogan: "My party is Brazil."
The 69-year-old retiree is also a staunch Catholic and believes the election is a "battle between good and evil," an argument put forth by First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro, a devoted evangelical.
Religion has been at the heart of a highly polarized election campaign in the nation of 215 million people, who are mostly Catholic, but with a third belonging to burgeoning evangelical churches.
In the final poll by the Datafolha institute on Saturday, Lula, 77, was leading among Catholics with 56 percent of votes, while Bolsonaro was the favorite of evangelical Christians with 65 percent.
Both parties boosted efforts to win votes among these groups in the campaign ahead of Sunday's run-off.
Religion and traditional values have become a battleground, with Bolsonaro accusing Lula of seeking to shut churches and allow abortion, a sensitive question in the conservative country.
"Family is sacred to me," Lula said last week as he met with evangelical leaders. He has also denied plans to make abortion legal.
However, his last-ditch efforts to woo the faithful did not convince Edval Maximo, 41, who came to vote for Bolsonaro in the converted annex of the church.
"I have never heard Lula mention the word of God. He only brings it up now that he is on the campaign trail," said the green-eyed doorman of an apartment building in Rio.
"The left and the communists hate religion," he added, echoing an oft-repeated remark made by Bolsonaro.
Almost 60 percent of people polled by Datafolha said religion is crucial in their choice of candidate.
"I am against abortion. I vote for the person defending family: the 'Legend,'" said 67-year-old Magali Zimmermann, using a nickname for Bolsonaro.
However, religion is not the only factor in her choice.
"I love Copacabana, but I am scared to go out in the street because of thieves," said the resident of the well-off, touristy area which is home to many retirees.
"Bolsonaro is not perfect, but he will bring us security," added the widow, who never misses mass.
At the back of the church, Eduardo Jorge swings side to side, his hands in the air, praising God. He is one of several faithful wearing a red T-shirt, the color of the PT. However, there are more people wearing green-and-yellow.
"I believe in a God who gives," the Lula supporter says after mass.
"Bolsonaristas use their faith to defend their interests rather than the poor. We need a Brazil which offers new opportunities and doesn't exclude people," said the 53-year-old social worker.
Esther Ferreira is wearing earrings in the shape of the Brazilian flag, a sign of support for Bolsonaro. She says she is voting for him "without hesitation" and hates the left.
"I am Catholic, but he could be atheist or Jewish and I would still vote for him," she told AFP.
Wilson Rodrigues Santos has a colorful tattoo of Jesus on his forearm. However, the Lula voter said religion did not play a part in his electoral choice.
"Everything has been catastrophic under Bolsonaro. Lula needs to come back, for education, health, public service... for everything."
A woman leaves Nossa Senhora de Copacabana church, in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on October 30, 2022, during the presidential run-off election
A supporter (R) of former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva walks in the other direction to supporters of president and election rival Jair Bolsonaro, as they cross a street in Brasilia, on October 30, 2022, during the presidential run-off
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