Following a presidential runoff in Brazil on October 25, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva secured his fourth term with 51.7% of the vote, defeating rival Flavio Bolsonaro. The outcome immediately triggered sharp international reactions, with U.S. Donald Trump denouncing the process as a rigged election.
Lula Wins Election Amid US Economic Sanctions
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva triumphed over conservative senator Flavio Bolsonaro, pulling 51.7% of the ballots against 48.2%, according to official results. 20minutes.fr noted the margin gave Lula roughly 4.4 million more votes than his opponent, who swiftly condemned the outcome as a scam. The electoral showdown unfolded under intense external pressure. Earlier in the campaign, Donald Trump deployed tariffs and economic sanctions against Brazil following the 2025 judicial trial of former right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro, who governed from 2019 to 2022. Lula had previously called on the White House tenant to stay out of domestic Brazilian affairs.
Trump did not officially endorse Flavio Bolsonaro, though he had praised the senator’s “grande victoire” after the first round of voting. Speaking before leaving Washington for a campaign rally ahead of U.S. midterm elections, Trump labeled the Brazilian vote lamentable and corrupt. “It looked like another rigged election,” he told reporters, according to 20minutes.fr. He maintained that he had not chosen a camp, yet maintained his vocal criticism of the final tally.
Flavio Bolsonaro Faces Travel Ban and Contests Results
On the ground in Brazil, the defeated conservative camp faces severe legal containment. Flavio Bolsonaro announced that he was ordered to surrender his passports and barred from leaving the country. The restriction was issued by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the same magistrate who oversaw the legal proceedings against his father. Jair Bolsonaro is currently under house assignment to serve a 27-year prison sentence for coup d’état.
Flavio Bolsonaro stated late Sunday that he would formally petition to invalidate the electoral results, citing alleged irregularities. Meanwhile, President Lula struck a defiant chord in his victory remarks, declaring that the struggle is only just beginning as he prepares to assume executive power for a fourth mandate.
| Candidate | Political Alignment | Vote Share |
|---|---|---|
| Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva | 51.7% | |
| Flavio Bolsonaro | Conservative | 48.2% |
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