Lula defeats Bolsonaro in Brazil's runoff election

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won a historic fourth term on Sunday, defeating far-right rival Flavio Bolsonaro in a run-off despite trailing by over two million votes in the first round on October 4. Lula secured 51.79 percent of valid votes versus Bolsonaro's 48.21 percent, a reversal driven by a revitalized grassroots campaign, youth-led digital mobilization, and higher turnout of 80.8 percent. Analysts also cited Bolsonaro's overconfidence and lack of charisma as factors. Bolsonaro refused to concede, citing a court-ordered voting extension, but experts say his legal challenge is weak. Lula now faces a conservative-dominated Congress, economic pressures with public debt above 82 percent of GDP, and questions about succession for the 80-year-old leader.