Lula triumphs Brazil election

Lula has triumphed in the Brazil election, paving his way back to the top job as Brazilian President

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is poised to be the next Brazilian President, following an astonishing victory over his far-right candidate.

The 77-year-old has defeated Jair Bolsonaro, who has been in the top job since 2019. Lula came out with 50.9% of the vote in comparison to Bolsonaro who secured 49.1%.

The run-off vote follows a tight race for president, as Latin America undergoes a shift in its politics.

For Lula, this is his second time in office, following a series of corruption scandals between 2003 and 2010.

This time, Lula has pledged for more social and environmental policies. His victory has been welcomed with open arms by the progressive activists.

Specifically, when compared with Bolsonaro’s lack of care and action on environmental issues.

Bolsonaro’s time in leadership saw the Amazon deteriorate significantly, the worst it had been in over a decade.

On top of this, Bolsonaro’s handling of the Covid pandemic also contributed to his dwindling popularity as leader.

Nearly 700,000 Brazilians died from the virus during the height of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Bolsonaro is calling the voting system as prone to fraud, which has raised come concerns that he will not concede defeat.