Brazilian far-right president Jair Bolsonaro has lost the election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a former president who led the country between 2003 and 2010. 77-year-old Lula is a former working-class factory worker who was disqualified from the 2018 presidential race after he was jailed on corruption charges that were later annulled.
In his victory speech, Lula made a pledge to unite the nation.
“We are going to live new times of peace, love and hope,” he said. “I will govern for 215m Brazilians … and not just for those who voted for me. There are not two Brazils. We are one country, one people – a great nation,” he said to applause. “It is in nobody’s interests to live in a country that is divided and in a constant state of war.”
Lula promises to unite a divided Brazil, seek fair global trade https://t.co/vEVM5eZXfo pic.twitter.com/Q7DlJykZu1
— Reuters (@Reuters) October 31, 2022
Speaking to The Guardian, 19-year-old student Gabrielly Soares shared her joy of having a leader in power that “cares about those at the bottom.”
Right now we have a person who doesn’t care about the majority, about us, about LGBT people,” Soares said. “Bolsonaro … is a bad person. He doesn’t show a drop of empathy or solidarity for others. There is no way he can continue as president.”
World leaders have congratulated Lula on his win, with Mexico’s president Andrés Manuel López Obrador calling it a victory for “equality and humanism”, while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said: “The people of Brazil have spoken. I’m looking forward to working with @LulaOficial to strengthen the partnership between our countries, to deliver results for Canadians and Brazilians, and to advance shared priorities – like protecting the environment. Congratulations, Lula!”
