Lula Wins Brazil Election, Bolsonaro Refuses to Concede

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won re-election on Sunday with 51.8% of the vote, defeating Flávio Bolsonaro by nearly 4.4 million votes and securing an unprecedented fourth term. The 81-year-old leftist's victory breaks a regional trend of right-wing gains in South America, including in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Peru, which have aligned with US President Donald Trump. Bolsonaro refused to concede and demanded the election be annulled, citing a last-minute two-hour voting extension that Lula requested after alleging buses were removed to prevent voters from reaching polls. Bolsonaro, son of former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro who is serving a 27-year prison sentence for attempting a coup after losing to Lula in 2022, called the decision "unacceptable" and a "dirty trick." Lula's win marks the first time since 1989 that a candidate who lost the first round won the runoff, with abstention falling from 21% to 19%.