Lula defeats Trump ally in Brazil presidential election: LIVE UPDATES
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has won reelection as Brazil’s president, defeating right-wing challenger Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of jailed former President Jair Bolsonaro and an ally of US President Donald Trump.
With 99.76% of polling stations counted, Lula secured 51.75% of valid votes against Bolsonaro’s 48.25%, according to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), which has declared the result mathematically decided.
The victory means Latin America’s largest economy is set to maintain its prominent role in BRICS rather than shift closer to Washington under the Bolsonaro political dynasty. The defeated challenger had openly questioned Brazil’s membership in the bloc, accusing Lula of using it to antagonize the United States.
The bitterly contested runoff was marred by mutual accusations of electoral abuses, with Lula’s campaign alleging that local authorities deliberately restricted public transport in areas where he enjoyed strong support. The incumbent accused several mayors of trying to prevent people from voting and threatened legal action.
In Salvador, an electoral judge even ordered the arrest of the municipal transport secretary after dozens of buses were kept in garages. City officials blamed the disruption on campaign stickers allegedly placed on vehicles by Lula supporters.
The controversy prompted Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin, Lula’s former personal lawyer, to extend voting hours nationwide by two hours. However, the order came after the original 5pm deadline, when many polling stations had already closed and sealed their electronic voting machines.
Bolsonaro’s campaign, which had separately requested extensions in several cities affected by severe weather, denounced the nationwide ruling as politically motivated. His allies questioned why some polling stations remained open while others could not reopen, raising concerns about possible electoral manipulation.
Senior judges from the Supreme Court and Superior Electoral Court have privately acknowledged procedural errors in handling the extension and expect legal challenges, according to Folha de S.Paulo. However, they have reportedly ruled out annulling or repeating the election, despite the confusion surrounding the vote.
Follow our live updates for the latest results, reactions and developments:
26 October 2026
01:22 GMTParaguayan President Santiago Pena has congratulated Lula on his reelection, pledging to continue cooperation between the two neighboring countries.
“I salute the Brazilian people for this great democratic day. Paraguay and Brazil share a common agenda of integration and development. We will continue working together for the well-being of our people,” he wrote on X.
- 01:11 GMT
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has congratulated Lula on his reelection, calling it a “historic victory” for Brazil.
“Dear brother Lula, I congratulate you on behalf of the Cuban government and people on this historic victory, which guarantees the continuation of the path of peace, sovereignty, and social justice embarked upon by the Brazilian people under your leadership,” he wrote on X.
Estimado hermano @LulaOficial, te felicito en nombre del gobierno y pueblo cubanos por esta victoria histórica que garantiza la continuidad del camino de paz, soberanía y justicia social emprendido por el pueblo brasileño bajo tu liderazgo. 1/2 https://t.co/5U9azS8Mvc
— Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (@DiazCanelB) October 26, 2026Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez also congratulated Lula and the Brazilian people, saying the victory “safeguards their sovereignty and ensures the continuity of the struggle for social justice and the well-being of its citizens.”
- 01:05 GMT
Bolsonaro ally and federal deputy Danilo Forte has questioned the legitimacy of Lula’s victory, blaming the two-hour extension of voting for making the result “very questionable.”
The Supreme Court’s decision “weakens democracy a lot,” he told reporters, adding that “Brazil loses.”
Forte described the atmosphere at Bolsonaro’s election-night gathering as feeling like “losing a championship.”
- 00:36 GMT
Lula has secured more than 64 million votes, surpassing his 2022 total and finishing more than 4.3 million votes ahead of Flavio Bolsonaro – more than double his winning margin against Jair Bolsonaro four years ago.
- 00:25 GMT
Bolsonaro ally and newly elected congressman Lucas Pavanato has declared that he will not accept defeat in the presidential election.
“Understand this: In this election, we do not accept ‘losing,’” he wrote on X.
Pavanato has also called for the impeachment of Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin over his decision to extend voting hours by two hours.
- 00:15 GMT
Lula has secured reelection for a historic fourth term, defeating Flavio Bolsonaro in the presidential runoff, according to preliminary results by Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court (TSE).
With 99.76% of polling stations counted, Lula has received 51.75% of valid votes against Bolsonaro’s 48.25%, a lead of more than 4.3 million votes.
The TSE has declared the result mathematically decided, with the remaining ballots unable to change the outcome.
- 00:09 GMT
Senior judges from Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) and Superior Electoral Court (TSE) have acknowledged procedural errors in the controversial decision to extend voting hours and expect legal challenges from the losing campaign, Folha de S.Paulo reports.
The judges reportedly criticized delays by both courts that left many polling stations unable to implement the last-minute order, as their electronic voting machines had already been sealed.
Despite the confusion, the judges currently rule out annulling or repeating the election, according to the newspaper.
- 00:07 GMT
Brazil’s Federal Police recorded 57 suspected electoral offenses and took 71 people to police stations during the runoff, according to figures released by the force covering incidents up to 7pm Brasília time.
The main suspected offenses involved illegal campaigning and violations of ballot secrecy, Metrópoles reported.
- 00:03 GMT
Lula has widened his lead over Bolsonaro to 51.58% against 48.42%, with 90.35% of polling stations counted, according to official electoral figures. The incumbent now leads by more than 3.5 million votes, with just under 10% of polling stations yet to report.
