Lula da Silva narrowly defeats Jair Bolsonaro in the Brazilian election
In a close vote, a previous left-wing leader of Brazil defeats the current ultra-conservative president.
After a fiercely contested race, challenger Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva narrowly defeated incumbent Jair Bolsonaro to win the election to become Brazil’s next president.
The country’s election commission reports that on Sunday, Lula won 50.8 percent of the vote versus Bolsonaro’s 49.2 percent.
Da Silva told the masses assembled at a hotel in Sao Paulo, “Today, the Brazilian people are the only winners. “Neither I nor the Workers’ Party or the parties that backed me in the election can claim credit for this victory. It represents the triumph of a democratic movement that rose above political parties, egotistical interests, and ideologies to advance democracy.”
The streets of Sao Paulo’s downtown were flooded with the sound of honking horns as soon as Lula passed Bolsonaro, who had been leading for the majority of the vote count.
“It turned!” was shouted by people in the Ipanema neighbourhood of Rio de Janeiro.
According to retired government worker Luiz Carlos Gomes, 65, who is from Maranhao state in the underdeveloped northeast, “He’s the best for the poor, especially in the countryside.” “Before him, we were always going hungry.”
The election was the most divisive in Brazil since the country’s restoration to democracy in 1985 following a military dictatorship that Bolsonaro, a former army captain, remembers with fondness and Lula, a former union leader, has agitated against.
The election also marked the first time a president in office lost his bid for reelection. The previous closest contest, in 2014, was decided by a margin of about 3.5 million votes; this one had a margin of little over two million votes.
Bolsonaro is quiet
In Brazil, it is customary for the losing candidate to speak first and concede defeat, but Bolsonaro made no public remarks about the results two hours after Lula was declared the victor.
The 67-year-old has in the past asserted without providing any supporting evidence that there is a chance of voter fraud.
Two very different and passionately opposed future plans for Brazil were the subject of the 2022 election.
While Bolsonaro ran on a platform of consolidating a significant rightward tilt in Brazilian politics following a presidency that saw one of the world’s deadliest COVID-19 outbreaks and extensive deforestation in the Amazon, Lula campaigned on promises of greater social and environmental responsibility.
According to Guilherme Casaroes of the Brazilian Center for International Relations, the mood in Sao Paulo is similar to that of the year 2002, when Lula won his first election.
“Back then, it was more of a hopeful election. I get the impression that right now, a lot of people are enjoying the conclusion of a particularly terrible time. Although everyone is aware of the challenge, Casaroes told Al Jazeera,” I believe there is great anticipation for what Lula can do.
Lula pledged to unite the nation and lead for all Brazilians in his initial remarks after winning.
At his campaign headquarters, Lula declared, “I will govern for 215 million Brazilians, not just for those who voted for me.” There is only one Brazil. We are one nation, one people, and one wonderful country.
Waving from a car’s sunroof, Lula arrived at the Sao Paulo rally shortly after 8:00 p.m. local time (23:00 gmt). Near Paulista Avenue, jubilant supporters awaited him while cheering and sipping champagne.
Lula will need to put a lot of effort into bridging the gap, according to international relations professor Oliver Stuenkel.
“About 50% of Brazilians are extremely terrified of his coming back to power. This is a profoundly divided nation that is also more impoverished and frustrated. Many people might contest the validity of this election. I believe that Lula will need to choose his remarks carefully at this point since the situation is so explosive,” said Stuenkel of the Fundaço Getulio Vargas (FGV) in Sao Paulo to Al Jazeera.
Traffic snarls on election day
The four years that Bolsonaro served in power were characterised by his outspoken conservatism and defence of purported traditional Christian principles. He asserted that none of these things occurred during Lula’s first eight years in office, and that his rival’s return to power would bring communism, the legalisation of drugs, abortion, and the persecution of churches.
The US President Joe Biden noted in a statement that the elections had been “free, fair, and credible,” and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was looking forward to working with Lula to protect the environment. Leaders from the region and around the world congratulated Lula on his victory.
Alberto Fernandez of Argentina and Gabriel Boric Font of Chile, both of whom are fellow left-wing leaders, praised Lula’s victory as ushering in “a new era for the history of Latin America” and a period of hope.
Independent political analyst Thomas Traumann noted Brazil’s differences and contrasted the election outcomes with the triumph of US President Joe Biden in 2020.
The country’s pacification will be Lula’s greatest problem, according to Traumann. “People are divided not only by their viewpoints on political issues but also by their values, identities, and worldviews. Furthermore, they don’t give a damn about the beliefs, identities, or viewpoints of the opposition.”
During his previous term in office, Lula is credited with creating a comprehensive social welfare programme, which helped tens of millions of people enter the middle class and presided over an economic boom. Over 80% of people approved of him as he left office.
He is also remembered for his administration’s participation in widespread corruption, which was made public by extensive investigations. Due to his incarceration in 2018, Da Silva was unable to compete against Bolsonaro, who was a fringe congressman at the time.
Democracia. pic.twitter.com/zvnBbnQ3HG
— Lula 13 (@LulaOficial) October 30, 2022
