- After a close race between the two candidates, leftist challenger Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won the presidential election in Brazil.
- After counting almost all the voting machines, the incumbent right-wing populist Bolsonaro was lying with about 49 percent of the votes (about 58 million), Lula accounted for about 51 percent (around 60 million).
- According to the electoral authority in the capital Brasilia, reversing the result is mathematically impossible.
- After the election, protests broke out in several parts of the country. A supporter of Lula was killed at a celebration.
In a first speech after the election, Lula announced that she wanted to reconcile the extremely divided country. “I will govern for 215 million Brazilians,” said the 77-year-old in São Paulo. “There are no two Brazils, only one people.” Now the moment has come to restore peace.
Lula will take over as President after a two-month transition period at the turn of the year. The former trade unionist ruled Brazil from early 2003 to late 2010. He is Brazil’s first democratically elected president to serve a third term.
Lula posted a picture of the Brazilian flag on Twitter on Sunday. Above it was “Democracy.” Thousands of supporters of the Labor Party (PT) candidate celebrated his victory on the boulevard Avenida Paulista in the metropolis of São Paulo.
Lula supporter killed in celebration
While supporters of Lula were celebrating the victory, the first protests were already taking place. A 27-year-old Lula supporter was shot dead during celebrations at a bar in the city of Belo Horizonte. There were also four injured, as reported by local media, citing the military police.
Both Lula’s and Bolsonaro’s supporters followed the vote count in the restaurant. It was initially unclear whether the act had a political background. The drunk shooter was arrested.
In several states, truck drivers protested against Lula’s election victory, as the newspaper “Folha de S. Paulo” reported, citing the police. Videos showed burning tires. Bolsonaro supporters with Brazilian flags called for the country’s highways to be blocked.
No reaction from incumbent Bolsonaro yet
Bolsonaro initially did not acknowledge his defeat. He had previously cast doubt on the electoral system and indicated that he might not accept the result. Since the relaxation of gun laws during his tenure, many of his supporters have heavily armed themselves.
Some supporters of the incumbent also openly called for a military coup. However, experts do not see sufficient support for this in society and the armed forces.
The election is also of great importance internationally. As a huge carbon reservoir, the Amazon region plays an important role in the fight against global climate change. In addition, Brazil is a potentially important trading partner with its enormous natural resources, the high proportion of green energy and the large agricultural economy.
In addition to the head of state, governors were also elected in a dozen states on Sunday.