Leftist former president Luis Inácio Lula da Silva has been elected president of Brazil for the third time with 50.83% of the vote. The current president, the far-right Jair Mesias Bolsonaro, obtained 49.17%, with which he entered history as the first Brazilian president with a single term.
Lula will arrive at the Palacio da Alvorada accompanied by the elected vice president, Geraldo Alkim.
It was a slow and sometimes exasperating photo finish win. As Martinho da Vila sang, it was a victory”wander, wander“, point by point.
Throughout the entire election day, every time the statistics were updated, Bolsonaro always went down after a count started where Lula appeared in front. With 30% of the votes counted, the result was reversed, but the current president never achieved more than 50.4%. From there it began to go down until with 66% of the votes counted, the now president-elect was gaining points.
Immediately, when the count was still at 93%, a lulista crowd began to flood the imposing Avenida Paulista, in front of the hotel where Lula awaited the results.
The United States, France and Germany immediately congratulated the winner, a direct signal to Bolsonaro, who on Saturday night said he was in dialogue with Washington and Berlin. And with Europe, in general.
Statements from both candidates are expected at the close. According to CNN/Brazil, Bolsonaro called Lula announcing that she plans to speak publicly soon, but she did not congratulate him on her victory.
Bolsonaro’s high command has said that he will not speak tonight.
News under construction…
