Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ousted President Jair Bolsonaro by winning a second election round in Brazil that many have described as a political thriller up to the last minute.
Left-wing da Silva has stunningly gone from prisoner to president-elect after being jailed on corruption charges, putting an end to right-wing incumbent President Bolsonaro.
With nearly all the ballots, Lula, a former two-term president, won 50.9 percent of the vote compared to 49.1 percent for Bolsonaro.
He had been found guilty of receiving a bribe from a Brazilian construction firm in return for contracts with Petrobras, Brazil’s state-owned oil company.
Lula spent 580 days in jail before his conviction was annulled, and he returned to the political fray.
“They tried to bury me alive and here I am,” he said, kicking off his victory speech.
In a tweet, he praised his supporters. “The reason for my victory,” he said, “was the dedication of each one of you who believed in freedom and the recovery of the country to the benefit of the Brazilian people.”
A razão da minha vitória foi a dedicação de cada um de vocês. Que acreditaram na liberdade e na possibilidade de recuperarmos o país para o povo brasileiro.
📸: @ricardostuckert pic.twitter.com/H3K2vTAzx7
— Lula 13 (@LulaOficial) October 31, 2022
Lula to face opposition by Bolsonaro’s lawmakers after Brazil election
While Jair Bolsonaro has lost, lawmakers close to him won a majority in Congress, which means that Lula will face stiff opposition to his policies in the legislative body.
In his victory speech, he struck a conciliatory tone, saying he would govern for all Brazilians and not just for those who voted for him.
“This country needs peace and unity. This population doesn’t want to fight anymore,” he said.
Lula is expected to be sworn in for a four-year term on January 1st.
Festa da vitória na Paulista https://t.co/7fXXvy0JCB
— Lula 13 (@LulaOficial) October 31, 2022
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