Lula re-elected in Brazil as Bolsonaro rejects results
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been re-elected as the president of Brazil, defeating Flávio Bolsonaro in a runoff election. Bolsonaro has refused to concede, citing concerns over the electoral process following a last-minute extension of voting hours.
Why it matters
The election result represents a significant political shift in Latin America, impacting the region's economic policy and international relations.
With 100 per cent of the vote counted, Brazil's electoral court announced that Lula, who turns 81 on Tuesday, had a lead of nearly 4.4 million votes — 51.8 per cent of the total vote — over opponent Flávio Bolsonaro.
Bolsonaro quickly refused to concede defeat and asked for the election results to be annulled after an evening of chaos at some polling places that followed a last-minute decision to extend voting by two hours.
Bolsonaro is the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, whom Lula defeated to take the presidency in 2022.
Lula's triumph bucks a regional trend of victories for right-of-centre presidential candidates allied with Trump. It also means Latin America's largest economy, with a GDP of $2.6 trillion US per year, will likely continue defying Trump's demands, despite the pressure of increased tariffs.
Lula supporters celebrate election results in São Paulo on Sunday. (Amanda Perobelli/Reuters)
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