Brazil's Lula to reclaim presidency after beating Bolsonaro

Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva celebrates with his wife Rosangela Silva, left, and running mate Geraldo Alckmin, right, after defeating incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in a presidential run-off to become the country's next president, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022. [AP]

Brazil's polarizing election goes to voters

Brazilians began voting Sunday in a polarizing presidential runoff election pitting far-right President Jair Bolsonaro against his political nemesis, former leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Da Silva's win extended a wave of recent leftist triumphs across the region, including Chile, Colombia and Argentina.

The president-elect will inherit a nation straining against itself after he is inaugurated on Jan. 1, said Thomas Traumann, an independent political analyst who compared Sunday's results to Biden's 2020 victory.

"The huge challenge that Lula has will be to pacify the country," he said. "People are not only polarized on political matters, but also have different values, identities and opinions. What's more, they don't care what the other side's values, identities and opinions are."

Among world leaders offering congratulations on Sunday night was U.S. President Joe Biden, who in a statement highlighted the country's "free, fair, and credible elections." The European Union also commended the electoral authority for its effectiveness and transparency throughout the campaign.

Bolsonaro had been leading throughout the first half of the count and, as soon as da Silva overtook him, cars in the streets of downtown Sao Paulo began honking their horns. People in the streets of Rio de Janeiro's Ipanema neighbourhood could be heard shouting, "It turned!"

Da Silva's headquarters in downtown Sao Paulo hotel only erupted once the final result was announced, underscoring the tension that was a hallmark of this race.

"Four years waiting for this," said Gabriela Souto, one of the few supporters allowed in due to heavy security.

Outside Bolsonaro's home in Rio, ground-zero for his support base, a woman atop a truck delivered a prayer over a speaker, then sang excitedly, trying to generate some energy as the tally grew for da Silva. But supporters decked out in the green and yellow of the flag barely responded. Many perked up when the national anthem played, singing along loudly with hands over their hearts.

For months, it appeared that da Silva was headed for easy victory as he kindled nostalgia for his presidency, when Brazil's economy was booming.

Bolsonaro's administration has been widely criticized for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the worst deforestation in the Amazon rainforest in 15 years. But he has built a devoted base by presenting himself as protection from leftist policies that he says infringe on personal liberties while producing economic turmoil and moral rot. He sought to shore up support in an election year with vast government spending.

"We did not face an opponent, a candidate. We faced the machine of the Brazilian state put at his service so we could not win the election," da Silva told the crowd in Sao Paulo.

Da Silva built an extensive social welfare program during his tenure as president that helped lift tens of millions into the middle class. The man universally known as Lula left office with an approval rating above 80%, prompting then-U.S. President Barack Obama to call him "the most popular politician on Earth."

But he is also remembered for his administration's involvement in vast corruption revealed by sprawling investigations.

Da Silva was jailed for 580 days for corruption and money laundering. His convictions were later annulled by Brazil's top court, which ruled the presiding judge had been biased and colluded with prosecutors. That enabled da Silva to run for president for the sixth time.

Da Silva has pledged to boost spending on the poor, reestablish relationships with foreign governments and take bold action to eliminate illegal clear-cutting in the Amazon rainforest.

"We will once again monitor and do surveillance in the Amazon. We will fight every illegal activity," da Silva said in his speech. "At the same time, we will promote sustainable development of communities in the Amazon."

The president-elect has pledged to install a ministry for Brazil's original peoples, which will be run by an Indigenous person.

But as da Silva tries to achieve these and other goals, he will be confronted by strong opposition from conservative lawmakers.

Unemployment this year has fallen to its lowest level since 2015 and, although overall inflation slowed during the campaign, food prices are increasing at a double-digit rate. Bolsonaro's welfare payments helped many Brazilians get by, but da Silva has been presenting himself as the candidate more willing to sustain aid going forward and raise the minimum wage.

In April, he tapped centre-right Geraldo Alckmin, a former rival, to be his running mate. It was another key part of an effort to create a broad, pro-democracy front to not just unseat Bolsonaro, but to make it easier to govern.

Building bridges among a diverse - and divided - country will be key to his success, said Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper University in Sao Paulo.

"If Lula manages to talk to voters who didn't vote for him, which Bolsonaro never tried, and seeks negotiated solutions to the economic, social and political crisis we have," Melo said, "then he could reconnect Brazil to a time in which people could disagree and still get some things done."