Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva achieved an unprecedented comeback in the electoral history of Brazil this Sunday by winning the presidential run-off with 51.78% of the votes, compared to the 48.22% of the far-right senator Flávio Bolsonaro, according to the official results from the Superior Electoral Court with 99.98% of the ballots counted.
The difference between the two candidates exceeded four million votes: 64,241,049 votes for Lula compared to 59,818,719 for Bolsonaro. With this victory, the 80-year-old leftist will govern Brazil for the fourth time, in what El País referred to as "a breath of fresh air for the global left."
The feat is unprecedented since the implementation of the runoff system in presidential elections in 1989: no candidate who lost the first round had managed to overturn the result in the runoff. Lula finished approximately 1.9 percentage points behind Bolsonaro in the first round on October 4—45.16% compared to 47.03%—with a deficit of about 2.22 million votes. In the second round, he not only closed that gap but also won by more than 3.5 percentage points.
The key to the comeback was his victory in Minas Gerais, the second state with the highest number of voters in the country. In the first round, he obtained 43.33% there compared to his rival's 48.24%; this Sunday he won with 50.43% against Bolsonaro's 49.57%. Since 1989, no candidate who wins in that state has lost the national election. Voter turnout also increased, dropping from 21.08% to 19.22%, despite the fact that historically, runoff elections see higher absenteeism.
The day was not without tensions: Judge Cristiano Zanin of the Supreme Federal Court ordered an extension of the voting hours by two hours following requests from both campaigns due to transportation difficulties and adverse weather conditions. The measure ended up being applied only in the polling stations that were still open. At Bolsonaro's headquarters in Brasilia, there was total desolation; leading figures of bolsonarism remained enclosed in a tent without making statements. According to El País, some supporters left the headquarters "amid shouts and curses."
In contrast, thousands of people celebrated in Cinelandia square, in downtown Rio de Janeiro, with fireworks and music. Former Colombian President Gustavo Petro was one of the first to react: "Fascism has been halted in Latin America in Brazil," he wrote on X.
The result has direct implications for Cuba. Under Lula's government, Brazil has become an essential South American ally of the Cuban regime: sent 48 tons of powdered milk in July, announced in March a package of over 20,000 tons of food, and donated medicines in May to treat nearly 1,000 patients.
A victory for Flávio Bolsonaro would have opened the possibility of a shift in relations with Cuba, considering that his father, Jair Bolsonaro, during his presidency (2019-2022), broke with Brazil's tradition of voting at the UN against the U.S. embargo on the island.
The bilateral relationship, however, is not without its frictions. Cuba owes Brazil 676 million dollars linked to loans for the construction of the Port of Mariel, with defaults dating back to May 2018. Furthermore, nearly 17,000 Cubans applied for asylum in Brazil between January and May 2026, reflecting the exodus caused by the structural crisis of the dictatorship.
Before the election results were known, U.S. President Donald Trump stated this Sunday: «I don't want to get into that matter, but we are observing». Lula's victory closes a chapter of a campaign overshadowed by former President Jair Bolsonaro, who was sentenced in September 2025 to 27 years and three months in prison by the Supreme Court for leading an attempted coup, and who designated his son Flávio as a candidate in December 2025 while he was incarcerated.
Update (October 26, 2026): With 100% of the electoral sections counted, the Superior Electoral Court of Brazil confirmed the victory of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva with 64,256,232 votes (51.79%), compared to the 59,826,041 (48.21%) received by Flávio Bolsonaro. The final difference was 4,430,191 votes. The figures presented at the beginning of this news correspond to the partial count available at the time of its publication.
For his part, Flávio Bolsonaro announced that he would not recognize the electoral results and would seek to annul the elections. The senator questioned the decision of Judge Cristiano Zanin of the Supreme Federal Court to extend the voting hours until 7:00 PM.
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