World leaders across political divides have congratulated Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on his re-election, following his victory in Sunday’s presidential runoff, which secured him another four-year term.
Lula, a left-wing leader who staged a remarkable political comeback, secured 51.8 per cent of the votes to defeat his conservative challenger, Flávio Bolsonaro, who received 48.2 per cent.
However, Bolsonaro refused to concede defeat.
Mexican President, Claudia Sheinbaum was among the first leaders to celebrate Lula’s victory, describing the outcome as a triumph for democracy and the Brazilian people in a post on X.
Cuban President, Miguel Díaz-Canel also congratulated Lula, describing his victory as historic and expressing confidence that it would sustain Brazil’s commitment to peace, national sovereignty and social justice.
Former Argentine President Cristina Kirchner, who is serving a house arrest sentence over corruption, praised Lula for mobilising support among Brazilians to secure his victory.
Uruguay’s President, Yamandú Orsi also disclosed that he had spoken with Lula to congratulate him on his electoral success.
Lula’s victory comes amid a broader shift towards conservative politics in parts of Latin America, including Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru, where right-wing movements have gained ground with backing from US President Donald Trump.
Peruvian President, Keiko Fujimori, described the election as a democratic milestone and expressed her country’s readiness to strengthen cooperation with Brazil, particularly in regional integration and the sustainable development of the Amazon, which the two countries share.
Chile’s President, José Antonio Kast, an ally of Bolsonaro, also congratulated Lula, expressing optimism about future relations between the two South American nations.
Ecuadorian President, Daniel Noboa, similarly called for cooperation, stressing the importance of addressing shared regional challenges.
European leaders also welcomed the outcome. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described Lula’s victory as a boost for democracy and multilateralism, adding that relations between Europe and Brazil were flourishing.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez hailed the result as the beginning of a progressive comeback, expressing hope that a similar political shift would occur in Spain ahead of its November election.
French President Emmanuel Macron called for stronger strategic ties between France and Brazil, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his congratulations and pledged to deepen cooperation between the two countries.
China also welcomed Lula’s victory, with a foreign ministry spokesperson expressing Beijing’s willingness to work with Brasília to strengthen bilateral relations and advance their shared development goals.
In the United States, Senator Bernie Sanders praised Lula for defending Brazilian workers and democracy, expressing confidence that the president would continue championing those causes during his new term.
