Pro-Palestine Lula secures fourth term as Brazil president

Official data released by Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE) confirmed that with nearly all votes counted, Lula secured 51.79 per cent of the vote, while Senator Flávio Bolsonaro received 48.21 per cent.

The vote marks a historic comeback for the veteran leftist leader after trailing behind Flávio Bolsonaro in the first round of voting held on October 4. According to international news reports, this is the first time since Brazil's return to democracy in 1985 that a candidate who finished second in the first round went on to win the presidency in the runoff.  

Flávio Bolsonaro, a sitting senator and son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, entered the runoff after his father was barred from running due to legal challenges and investigations surrounding an alleged coup attempt following the previous election.

Lula, widely recognized in international politics for his strong pro-Palestinian stance, previously recognized Palestine as an independent state during his earlier tenure in 2010.

Since returning to power in 2023, he has remained a vocal critic of Israel's military operations in Gaza, drawing sharp diplomatic reactions including being declared persona non grata by the Israeli government.