Lula re-elected Brazil president after tight race against Bolsonaro

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has won a fourth presidential election victory, defeating right-wing rival Flávio Bolsonaro in a closely contested run-off election.

Lula's victory follows a difficult campaign in which Bolsonaro emerged ahead in the first round of voting on October 4, leaving the incumbent with just three weeks to turn the race around.

The 80-year-old leader, who first took office in January 2003 and served two consecutive terms until December 2010, returned to the presidency in January 2023.

His latest victory bucks a wider trend across Latin America, where voters have increasingly shifted towards conservative leaders. Argentina, Chile and Colombia are among the countries currently governed by right-wing administrations.

Lula's campaign gained momentum after the first-round setback, with street demonstrations and an extensive social media mobilisation helping revive support for the veteran left-wing leader, who has dominated Brazil's political left since first running for president in 1989.

His new term, scheduled to begin on January 5, 2027, will come with significant political and economic challenges, including strained relations with United States President Donald Trump.

Although Trump did not directly endorse Bolsonaro, his administration has sought to strengthen US influence in Latin America and reduce China's presence in the region.

Brazil, a major oil producer with substantial rare earth mineral reserves, remains an important partner for China under Lula's leadership.

The Brazilian president has also warned Washington against interfering in the country's political affairs, insisting that Brazil would not become subordinate to another nation's interests.

Lula's victory is also expected to reassure environmental campaigners who had raised concerns about the possibility of Bolsonaro winning the presidency. They feared that policies favouring agribusiness and mining could weaken environmental protections and accelerate deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.

During the presidency of Flávio Bolsonaro's father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, environmentalists raised alarm over deforestation and forest fires in the Amazon, one of the world's most important ecosystems.

Despite Lula's victory, the election has exposed deep political divisions in Brazil, with more than 48 per cent of voters backing Bolsonaro.

Lula will also face a challenging legislative landscape, with a Congress described as the most right-wing in Brazil's democratic era. Bolsonaro's Liberal Party made significant gains in the election, strengthening the conservative opposition's position.

Meanwhile, Lula's Workers' Party demonstrated its grassroots support by organising large rallies ahead of the run-off.

During the campaign, Lula described the election as a defining moment for Brazil and promised to bridge divisions between opposing political groups through what he called a new approach to governance.

He pledged to pursue a fairer society, expand opportunities and focus government policies on the needs of ordinary citizens.

However, governing a deeply polarised country while facing a largely hostile Congress could prove difficult for the veteran president.

Lula, who will turn 85 before the end of his next term, faces the challenge of building political consensus while delivering on his campaign promises.