Lula's Victory Halts Trumpist Wave in South America

Lula da Silva's unexpected victory in Brazil's presidential election marks the first defeat of the Trump-backed reactionary wave in South America, a significant global development. Washington had considered Brazil its primary target after successes in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Peru. Lula achieved a historic comeback, becoming the first candidate to win after losing the first round, and broke a seemingly unstoppable trend. His victory is also seen as a win for multilateralism, especially with the EU-Mercosur agreement in effect, though Brazil remains divided and faces a potential violent reaction from the opposition. The result was decisive, with a 4.5 million vote margin, and follows other recent defeats for right-wing populists in Serbia and Hungary. Attention now turns to upcoming elections in Israel and the US midterms, which could signal a broader shift away from Trumpism.