Brazil re-elects Lula as President for a record fourth term

• Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva clinched a fourth term in a runoff against Flavio Bolsonaro on October 26. 

• The leftist leader won 51.7 per cent of the votes in the presidential elections.

• His win makes him the first in Brazilian history to secure a fourth term.

• Lula’s right-wing opponent Flavio Bolsonaro is the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro.

• The re-election of Lula as President dealt a harsh blow to US President Donald Trump’s “Donroe Doctrine”, a plan to secure a US “sphere of influence” in the Americas.

• South America’s most populous nation will be led for another four years by the veteran leftist and long-standing critic of US influence.

• What makes Lula’s win even more vexing for Washington is that it is likely to strengthen Brazil’s ties with China.

• Lula’s fourth non-consecutive term will start on January 5, 2027. 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Lula on his victory in the elections.

• The PM expressed eagerness to work closely with him to further deepen and expand the multifaceted India-Brazil Strategic Partnership.

Who is Lula da Silva?

• Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was born on October 27, 1945, in the city of Garanhuns, in Pernambuco. 

• He became a metal worker at age 14 in an industrial city near Sao Paulo, where he lost the little finger of his left hand.

• In his youth, he completed a vocational course at the National Service for Industrial Training (SENAI), qualifying as a mechanical turner. He later worked for companies in the metallurgical sector. 

• In 1975, he became president of the Metalworkers’ Union and, in 1980, became one of the founders of the Workers’ Party (PT).

• He made his first presidential run in 1989, which he lost along with two subsequent races.

• Lula was first elected President of Brazil on October 27, 2002. He subsequently won the 2006 and 2022 elections.