Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Brazilian president, has vowed that dictatorship and fascism will never return to Brazil after winning a historic fourth term in power by defeating his far-right opponent, Flávio Bolsonaro.
“This is God’s work – and it’s thanks to all of you,” Lula told tens of thousands of supporters who had gathered in central São Paulo in the early hours of Monday to celebrate his dramatic election comeback.
A few hours earlier, Lula pulled off the most stunning political fightback in modern Brazilian history, bouncing back from a first-round defeat in early October to trounce Bolsonaro by more than 4m votes in the runoff.
“Today is a historic day,” Lula declared, before telling a sea of elated supporters: “Democracy always, dictatorship never again. Democracy always, fascism never again.”
Never, since the return of democracy after the 1964-85 military regime, had the first-round loser managed to win the second vote.
But Lula did precisely that on Sunday, prompting joyous scenes on the streets of São Paulo and cities all across Brazil. He won with 64.2m votes to Bolsonaro’s 59.8m, a 51.79 percent to 48.21 percent victory. It was at least 10m more votes than Lula secured in the first round.
On Paulista Avenue, where huge crowds had gathered to hear Lula speak, one reveler wore a costume of Flávio Bolsonaro behind bars. Some suspect the senator is likely to flee the country to the U.S. once his term runs out in February, and he loses parliamentary immunity. Bolsonaro is facing a series of federal police investigations over suspected misdeeds including money laundering, although he maintains he is innocent.
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