Lula wins Brazilian presidential election after neck-and-neck race with Bolsonaro | Abroad

After his victory, Lula in a speech called for “peace and unity” in his deeply divided South American country of 210 million. He also called for international cooperation on the protection of the Amazon rainforest and stated that he would strive for fair world trade instead of trade agreements that “condemn our country to be a perpetual exporter of raw materials.”

The left-wing former president, who was already at the helm of the country between 2003 and 2010, further emphasized that Brazil “is back on the world stage.” He further emphasized that improving the situation of the more than 33 million Brazilians who are currently starving is very important to him. “The wheel of the economy will turn again,” he promised in that context.

Lula finally pledged to serve the interests of all 215 million Brazilians, not just those of his constituents. “It is in no one’s interest to live in a divided nation that is in a permanent state of war,” said 77-year-old Lula. “This country needs peace and unity. The people don’t want to fight anymore.”

Whether Lula’s rival Bolsonaro is also convinced remains to be seen. The current Brazilian president seems to be remarkably quiet for the time being and has not yet admitted his defeat. Bolsonaro has previously stated several times that the Brazilian electoral system would be prone to fraud and suggested that he would not accept a loss.

Incidentally, there were concerns on Sunday that voters in the poor northeast of the country, where Lula’s support is strongest, were being hindered from voting. Police, who critics say are on the side of Bolsonaro, are said to have erected illegal roadblocks for buses carrying voters. However, according to Alexandre de Moraes, the head of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), no one was prevented from voting and all police operations on the roads had been halted. “The only problem for voters was that they were delayed,” Moraes said. He announced an investigation into the police activities on Election Day.

For Lula, his victory is a spectacular comeback. The 77-year-old former trade unionist headed Latin America’s largest country from 2003 to 2010 and was very popular at the time. However, he was later associated with a major corruption scandal, for which he even spent a year and a half in prison. In March this year, the Supreme Court reversed its conviction, alleging that the judge had been biased. That judge, Sergio Moro, later became justice minister under Bolsonaro.

Lula is Brazil’s first democratically elected president to serve a third term. He will have a hard time leading a left-wing policy, as Bolsonaro’s party and its allies did very well in the parliamentary elections, so Brazil currently has a very conservative Congress.

Despite this, Lula has vowed to return to the social policies that lifted millions of Brazilians out of poverty during his earlier term as president. He has also pledged to stop the destruction of the Amazon region and even make Brazil a global leader in combating climate change.

US President Joe Biden quickly congratulated Lula on Sunday night on his victory in what Biden called “free, fair and credible” elections. He added that he looks forward to “continuing cooperation between our two countries.”

French President Emmanuel Macron also sent congratulations. Lula’s election “opens a new page in Brazil’s history,” it said. “Together, we will join forces to face the many common challenges and renew the bond of friendship between our two countries,” he said.

Also read: PORTRAIT. Lula, the “world’s most beloved leader” who wants to rule Brazil again (+)