Madar (International) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won a fourth term in the presidential runoff held on Sunday, October 25, 2026, taking 51.79% of the vote, according to a BBC report published on Monday, October 26.
According to the same source, Lula becomes the first president since the return to civilian rule in 1985 to be elected after losing the first round, with a margin of 4.4 million votes over Flavio Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro had led the first round on October 4 with 47% against Lula's 45%.
Lula told supporters his victory was a "loss for negativity, lies", adding: "Long live democracy." He also said Brazil "will not accept being anyone's backyard".
Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, has not recognised the result. He called for it to be annulled, describing it as "inexplicable", and said in an Instagram video that police had told him to hand over his passports.
The president of the Supreme Electoral Court, Kassio Nunes Marques, confirmed Lula's victory and said that the two-hour extension of voting, ordered by Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin at the request of both campaigns, did not change the outcome.
US President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday, without providing evidence: "I didn't take sides, but it looked like another rigged election." Lula was congratulated by leaders including Claudia Sheinbaum, Ursula von der Leyen, Pedro Sanchez, Emmanuel Macron and Cyril Ramaphosa.
The new term begins on January 5 and runs until 2030. Lula has already served three non-consecutive terms: two between January 2003 and December 2010, and again since January 2023.
