Lula’s Victory Over Bolsonaro Has Restored Hope for Brazilian Democracy

Brazilian president-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva greets supporters after winning the presidential runoff election, São Paulo, Brazil, October 30. (CAIO...

Lula defeated Brazil’s far-right president Jair Bolsonaro in yesterday’s election. The left-wing veteran will face some huge challenges on taking office, but his triumph over Bolsonaro has given Brazilian politics a fresh chance after a disastrous presidency.

On Sunday, October 30, Brazil’s former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva achieved a historic victory over the incumbent Jair Bolsonaro. In the closest race since the restoration of Brazilian democracy in the 1980s, Bolsonaro became the first incumbent to ever lose reelection.

The election divided Brazil between the defense of democracy and a return to civil politics on one side, and authoritarianism and reactionary politics on the other. Lula’s victory, with 50.9 percent of the vote versus Bolsonaro’s 49.1 percent, sparked celebrations on Brazil’s largest avenues as the popular cry rang out for an end to the social crisis the country has been enduring.

Brazilian journalist Fernando Gabeira, who once fought as a guerrilla fighter against the military dictatorship, called the election “a victory for Brazil, and a victory for humanity. We can now breathe again.” Former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso, a longtime rival of Lula, sent him a message of congratulations proclaiming “democracy has won.”

Read this article on the Jacobin website >>