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- Former factory worker and union leader secures another mandate after decades marked by electoral victories, corruption investigations and political polarization
By Ahmet Salih Alacaci
WASHINGTON (AA) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva secured an unprecedented fourth presidential term Sunday, defeating challenger Flavio Bolsonaro in a closely contested runoff that marked another chapter in Latin America's largest country.
Lula won 51.78% of valid votes against 48.22% for Bolsonaro, according to Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE), with 99.98% of polling stations counted.
The victory extends the political longevity of the 80-year-old leader, who rose from poverty to become Brazil's first working-class president and later returned to power after serving time in prison on corruption convictions that were subsequently annulled.
Lula, the candidate of the Workers' Party (PT), entered the runoff after finishing second in the Oct. 4 first round, receiving 45.16% of valid votes against 47.03% for Bolsonaro, a senator.
His comeback made him the first candidate since Brazil's return to democracy to win a presidential election after finishing second in the first round, adding another historic distinction to his political career.
Speaking after his victory in Sao Paulo, Lula pledged to govern for all Brazilians despite the country's political divisions.
"Nobody is obliged to like the elected president, but he was elected to govern for everyone," he said, emphasizing respect for the Constitution.
Lula’s reelection followed a campaign dominated by concerns over living costs, public security, corruption and the direction of Brazil's foreign relations, particularly its increasingly strained relationship with the US under President Donald Trump.
- From factory worker to president
Born on Oct. 27, 1945 in the northeastern state of Pernambuco, Lula grew up in poverty before moving with his family to Sao Paulo, where he worked from an early age.
He received vocational training as a metalworker and lost a finger in an industrial accident, an experience that became part of his political identity as a representative of Brazil's working class.
Lula became involved in organized labor during the country's military dictatorship and rose to lead the metalworkers' union in Sao Bernardo do Campo, an industrial center outside Sao Paulo.
His leadership of major strikes in the late 1970s brought him national prominence. He helped establish the Workers' Party in 1980, combining trade union activists, leftist intellectuals and other groups opposed to military rule.
Elected to Congress in 1986, Lula made unsuccessful presidential bids in 1989, 1994 and 1998 before winning the presidency in 2002.
He took office in January 2003, promising to combat poverty while maintaining economic stability.
During his first two terms, which ended in 2010, Brazil benefited from rising commodity exports and economic growth, while social programs including Bolsa Familia provided financial assistance to millions of low-income households.
Poverty declined substantially, although his administration also faced corruption scandals involving senior officials and lawmakers.
Lula left office with high approval ratings and was succeeded by his political ally Dilma Rousseff, who was later impeached in 2016.
- Imprisonment and political return
Lula's political career suffered a major setback during the sweeping Operation Car Wash corruption investigation, which implicated politicians and business executives in bribery and money laundering.
He was convicted on corruption and money laundering charges and imprisoned in April 2018, preventing him from contesting that year's presidential election.
He spent 580 days in prison before being released in November 2019.
In 2021, Brazil's Supreme Court annulled his convictions, ruling that the court which handled his cases lacked jurisdiction. The court also found that former judge Sergio Moro had been biased in one of the proceedings.
The decisions restored Lula's eligibility to seek public office.
He returned to the presidency after narrowly defeating incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in the 2022 election, winning approximately 50.9% of valid votes.
His inauguration in January 2023 was followed a week later by an assault on Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace by Bolsonaro supporters seeking to overturn the election result.
- Third term and domestic agenda
During his third presidency, Lula prioritized poverty reduction, social spending, public investment and environmental protection while seeking to maintain fiscal stability.
His administration expanded social assistance programs and pursued measures to strengthen wages and employment, but concerns over living costs, government spending and violent crime weighed on his popularity.
The government also faced difficulties advancing legislation in a Congress where centrist and conservative parties held considerable influence.
For his fourth-term campaign, Lula promised to maintain Bolsa Familia, expand affordable housing and strengthen public health care and education.
His economic proposals included higher taxation of high incomes, continued infrastructure investment, support for domestic manufacturing and further increases in the minimum wage.
Lula also championed legislation to reduce the standard workweek from 44 to 40 hours without cutting wages, a constitutional amendment enacted on Oct. 16 that will be implemented gradually over 14 months.
Environmental protection remained another priority, with Lula pledging to eliminate deforestation by 2030 while supporting continued oil and gas development.
However, his victory does not guarantee control of Congress, where conservative parties strengthened their influence in the October elections.
The composition of the legislature could complicate his efforts to advance tax reforms, social spending, public security measures and environmental legislation, forcing his administration to negotiate with parties outside his political coalition.
- Foreign policy and regional implications
Internationally, Lula has pursued closer cooperation with emerging economies through BRICS, strengthened relations with China and advocated a larger diplomatic role for Brazil.
He has criticized Israel's military operations in Gaza, supported Palestinian statehood and called for negotiated solutions to international conflicts.
His relationship with Washington frayed as Trump imposed tariffs on Brazilian goods and publicly supported former President Jair Bolsonaro, although Trump stopped short of formally endorsing Flavio Bolsonaro in the 2026 election.
Lula criticized what he viewed as US interference in Brazilian affairs, making national sovereignty a central theme of his reelection campaign.
His latest victory comes amid a broader shift to the right across Latin America, where conservative governments have taken power in several countries including Chile, Colombia and Peru, some seeking closer ties with Trump.
The result leaves Brazil among the region's largest governments maintaining an independent diplomatic approach toward Washington and seeking increased cooperation with the Global South.
Lula's new four-year term will begin on Jan. 5, 2027, extending his presidential career across nearly three decades.
