Lula wins historic comeback, re-elected Brazil's president

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was re-elected president of Brazil on Sunday, defeating challenger Flávio Bolsonaro by 51.76% to 48.24% with nearly all votes counted, marking the first time a second-place first-round candidate has won the runoff. Lula, who surpassed 64 million votes, overcame a first-round deficit of over 2 million votes through massive voter mobilization that reduced abstention from 21.08% to 19%. He compensated for losses in the South and Center-West with strong support in the Northeast and a narrow win in Minas Gerais. The 81-year-old president will face a divided Congress, where right-wing parties hold majorities. Lula previously served as president from 2002 to 2010 and won again in 2022, after his corruption convictions were annulled in 2021.