Trump Critic Lula Wins Reelection in Brazil, Securing Fourth Term

With 100% of votes counted, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defeated Flávio Bolsonaro in Brazil's presidential runoff for a fourth term starting Jan. 5, 2027. Newsmax put Lula at 51.8% with a nearly 4.4 million vote lead; Daily Mail put him at 51.7% to 48.2%. Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin extended voting two hours after both candidates requested it. Bolsonaro refused to concede, called the ruling "unacceptable," and asked for the results to be annulled. It was the first runner-up win since 1985; AP reported Bolsonaro led the first round 47% to 45%. Lula celebrated in São Paulo with First Lady Rosângela da Silva, wearing star-shaped red glasses and kissing her as hundreds gathered on the main artery. In Rio a woman in red shouted at men in Bolsonaro colors as cars beeped and a roar echoed. Rodrigo Valentim said, "I don't understand how people can vote for Lula. The country is collapsing." Erika Hilton said, "He is a statesman, a giant." Leonardo Barreto said people are choosing between change with some apprehension and a known path that guarantees certain rights. Celso Amorim said Lula "would be very important for establishing a point of balance in Latin America. Lula is that balance." CONTESTED: exact vote share (51.8% vs 51.7%) and Lula's age (soon 81 per Newsmax/AP; 80 per Daily Mail). Unresolved are Bolsonaro's annulment bid and how many stations stayed open. One Rio site's machines could not restart; most Brasília volunteers left 15-20 minutes after the original close.