Lula Wins Dramatic Brazil Election, Securing Fourth Term

Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has won a dramatic presidential election, defeating far-right rival Flavio Bolsonaro to secure a historic fourth term in office. With nearly 99 percent of votes counted, the 80-year-old leftist leader received 51.75 percent of the vote, while his 45-year-old opponent received 48.25 percent. Lula had narrowly lost the first round in early October, a setback that had cast doubt on his political future. Lula overcame a 2.2 million vote deficit from the first round to win by 4.3 million votes, marking the first time a second-place candidate has won the runoff since Brazil's return to democracy in the 1980s. The victory is a blow to Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence, and to former U.S. President Donald Trump, an ally of the Bolsonaro family.