The Cuban activist and lawyer Manuel Viera, known on social media as Manuel Viera Porelcambio, requested this Monday to respect the victory of Lula da Silva in Brazil's presidential elections and to prioritize democracy over political fanaticism, although he clarified that the elected president was not his candidate.
Viera, who has been living in Brazil since January 2026 after being forced to leave Cuba under pressure from State Security, was a direct witness to the electoral day of October 25, where Lula made a historic comeback by securing 51.79% of the votes against Flávio Bolsonaro's 48.21%, a difference of over 4.4 million votes.
"He was not my candidate, but he has governed this country three times. Three times. He is not a communist but rather very capitalist from his somewhat odd left perspective, and he has the restraint of a Senate and a Congress dominated by the right in the first round," Viera wrote on Facebook.
The Cuban activist dismantled the fraud argument that Bolsonaro's supporters raised regarding the two-hour extension of voting hours, pointing out that this extension was requested by both parties: Lula's PT in the northeast and Bolsonaro's PL in the south.
"Extending the elections by two hours cannot be a reason to manipulate their transparency. It was a request from both parties," he stated, adding that the measure benefited both forces equally.
Viera also criticized those who question the outcome from abroad without understanding the Brazilian reality: "Speaking carelessly from the United States or Europe without any basis, just out of anger, disrespects this great nation and the vote of the majority of its people."
For the activist, Brazil is "a global power, not a banana republic," a democratic state of law with a diverse population and a discipline that inspires admiration.
As a Cuban citizen in migration status, Viera does not have the right to vote in Brazilian elections, but he experienced the process from within, working alongside the people of the country that welcomed him.
His reflection was also an exercise in hope directed towards Cuba: "I am very happy because for the first time in my life I have seen the democracy that I want for the island I carry in my heart work. It does work! And its results must be respected regardless of who wins."
In a second text, Viera expressed his stance with equal strength: "I do not defend dictatorships from the right or the left because they are the same garbage. I defend the proper functioning of the state and the electoral power based on popular vote."
The activist also warned about the dangers of extremism at both ends of the political spectrum, equating the refusal to acknowledge election results with other forms of undermining democracy: "Democracy is not only violated when a cruel dictatorship is established for 67 years on an island in the Caribbean [...] It is also violated when supporters are called to rebel against election results and to forcibly take over state powers."
Viera arrived in Brazil after selling his properties to finance his emigration. He explained that he left for political reasons, not economic ones. Since then, he has managed to reunite with his wife and daughter, who are working and studying in the country. He works as a warehouse manager in a market.
Your case reflects a broader trend: almost 17,000 Cubans applied for asylum in Brazil between January and May 2026, and in 2025, Cubans submitted 41,919 applications, an increase of 88% compared to the previous year, making them the largest nationality requesting asylum in the country.
Flávio Bolsonaro, for his part, rejected the outcome and announced that he would request the annulment of the elections, questioning the extension ordered by the magistrate Cristiano Zanin, Lula's former personal lawyer. The Electoral Court urged respect for the result. Lula's new term will begin on January 5, 2027.
Viera concluded his reflection with the same conviction that guides his activism from exile: "For a democratic, free, prosperous Cuba without dictatorships."
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