Brazil: Lula Wins Stunning Upset Over Flávio Bolsonaro in Blow to Far Right & Trump

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has won a record fourth term in office, defeating far-right challenger Flavio Bolsonaro by 4 million votes in a runoff election on Sunday. Flavio Bolsonaro is the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who remains under house arrest for plotting a coup against Lula four years ago. The younger Bolsonaro, who narrowly defeated Lula in the first round of voting earlier this month, is now refusing to concede.

Lula's surprise comeback comes after weeks of student-led organizing and campaigning on his behalf, and amid accusations that U.S.-based tech companies were suppressing Lula's reach online in favor of his Trump-aligned opponent. The amount of organizing, the amount of marches and rallies, campaigning, pamphlets that we've seen the last three weeks has been something that I have never seen in my entire life, ever, covering elections for decades in so many different countries. It is absolutely unprecedented," says Brazil-based journalist Michael Fox. It is an absolute game-changer for the region."