Lula da Silva Wins Brazilian Presidential Run-off Election

President Lula da Silva of the Workers Party won the Brazilian presidential run-off election on Sunday, defeating his challenger Flavio Bolsonaro with 51.8% of the votes compared to Bolsonaro's 48.2%. Bolsonaro, who has fled to the United States, claims the election was rigged but his party has recognized Lula's victory.

Lula's comeback is notable as he had placed second in the first round on October 4, receiving 45% of the votes, while Bolsonaro had 47%, leading by 2.2 million votes. In the run-off, Lula gained a margin of 4.4 million votes from 124 million total voters.

Lula's success is attributed to a strong voter mobilization campaign, particularly through social media, including a WhatsApp group called 'Lula’s army' with nearly 11 million followers. Lula's electoral victory is significant in the context of global political trends, contrasting a liberal politician against a Trumpian conservative populist.

His past conviction for corruption did not diminish his popularity, as he is viewed as a folk hero due to his social and economic legacies.