Rio de Janeiro [Brazil], October 26 (ANI): Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Sunday (local time) said “Brazil is no one’s backyard” after winning re-election on Sunday, asserting that his campaign had defeated foreign intervention through digital platforms and pledging to increase public participation in decision-making.
In a post on X, Lula shared his remarks following his re-election as President of Brazil, in which he highlighted the importance of voting in safeguarding democracy.
Presidente Lula fala após ser reeleito presidente do Brasil https://t.co/hbCHLkhz8x
— Lula (@LulaOficial) October 26, 2026
“We managed to convince people that voting was extremely important to safeguard democracy in Brazil. We defeated foreign intervention through digital platforms. Brazil is no one’s backyard. We will change the way we run this country; we will make people participate more in the decision-making process,” Lula said.
Lula, an 80-year-old former factory worker and leader of the Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT), won re-election after defeating Flavio Bolsonaro in a closely contested presidential run-off, following a first round in which the candidates were tied, according to the provided context.
In another post on X, Lula shared a post by PT Brasil featuring the words, “Either leave the homeland free or die for Brazil!”
🇧🇷🇧🇷
— Lula (@LulaOficial) October 26, 2026
The post identified the words as Brazil’s Independence Anthem.
As per Al Jazeera, leaders from countries across Latin America and several prominent left leaders congratulated Lula on his win over Bolsonaro.
According to the news report, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said, “Long live democracy, the people of Brazil won. Congratulations, President Lula!”
Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz said, “I congratulate President Lula on his victory. Bolivia and Brazil are neighbouring and sister countries, united by a shared history and common challenges. We will continue working together to strengthen our relationship and generate more opportunities for our nations.”
Paraguayan President Santiago Pena said, “Congratulations Lula on your election as President of Brazil. I salute the Brazilian people for this great democratic journey. Paraguay and Brazil share a common agenda of integration and development. We will continue working together for the well-being of our people.”
According to Brazilian Media and projections by Datafolha, with 99.77% of the votes counted, the incumbent president had 51.76% of the valid votes in the second round of the election, compared to 48.24% for Bolsonaro junior.
Victory makes the Workers’ Party member extend his record as the second longest-serving holder of the office, behind Getúlio Vargas. By the end of his last term, he will have been in power for 16 years, a record in Brazil’s democratic history.
The victory follows a campaign dominated by concerns over the cost of living, crime and corruption. CNN reported that it is also the first time since the return of direct presidential elections in 1989 that a candidate has won the presidency after finishing second in the first round.
Lula, who first governed Brazil between 2003 and 2010, has faced a tough reelection battle because of concerns about the cost of living and security. Bolsonaro made a tough-on-crime approach the cornerstone of his campaign and pledged to bring down food costs.
Both Presidential candidates had been hit by corruption allegations involving family members and allies. Lula had spent more than a year in prison on corruption convictions that were eventually annulled.
The results of Sunday’s run-off came after a heated election day, with voting being extended by two hours following last-minute pleas from both candidates to electoral authorities.
According to CNN, Lula’s victory will have repercussions beyond Brazil, keeping Latin America’s largest country on a more independent foreign-policy path under Lula, who has emphasised Brazil’s sovereignty and closer ties with the Global South and China amid tensions with the Trump administration.
Lula began his political career in the 1970s as a union leader. He then helped found the Workers’ Party, which he represented as a presidential candidate three times until he finally won in 2002. He was re-elected four years later and was succeeded by one of his cabinet ministers, Dilma Rousseff, in 2010. She was re-elected in 2014. (ANI)
