Lula defeats Bolsonaro, keeping Brazil's presidency on the left
Brazil's left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has won re-election, defeating right-wing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro in a runoff with 51.75 percent to 48.25 percent of votes, according to preliminary results from the Supreme Electoral Court. The 80-year-old's victory blocks the Bolsonaro camp's attempt to shift Latin America's largest economy rightward and align closely with US President Donald Trump. Lula's campaign highlighted falling unemployment, reduced poverty, and decreased Amazon deforestation, though high living costs and debt concerns persisted. Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest, had promised closer Washington ties and an amnesty for his father. Lula now faces a strengthened right-wing opposition in Congress and likely tensions with Trump, while Brazil remains a counterweight to Latin America's recent rightward shift.