‘I am not going to give up on my Brazil,’ says Bolsonaro after election defeat; ‘Country is no one’s backyard,’ retorts Lula

Rio de Janeiro: Defeated far-right presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro has refused to concede defeat in Sunday’s Brazilian election and pledged to seek its annulment, citing unproven allegations of irregularities, Brazilian media reported.

According to Brazilian online newspaper Brasil de Fato, Flávio stated:

"We will use our legal team; we will request the annulment of these elections."

He added:

"I will not accept that the rules of the game have been changed on top of the game, once again, by Lula’s friends in the Supreme Federal Court."

Describing the outcome as "inexplicable," Flávio criticised a decision by Supreme Federal Court Minister Cristiano Zanin to extend voting hours by two hours, until 7:00 PM.

"Things happen out of nowhere, at the request of a former partner, Zanin himself, and he complies with an outdated request, bypassing electoral justice," Flávio claimed.

The extension followed allegations that municipalities allied with Flávio had reduced public transit services, potentially obstructing voters from reaching polling stations. Flávio also asserted that inspectors from his Liberal Party (PL) were removed from a secure counting room.

“Our PL inspectors were removed from inside the secure room as soon as the selection was made,” he alleged.

Insisting that the voting process required further scrutiny, Flávio called on supporters not to accept the outcome:

“So there's a lot to be clarified before Brazil simply acknowledges this dirty trick that happened in these elections. I'm not going to give up on my Brazil. I hope that you, who have been watching me, won't give up either.”

Brasil de Fato noted that Flávio provided no supporting evidence for any of his claims.

Meanwhile, following his run-off victory, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared that "Brazil is no one's backyard." In a post on X detailing his post-election remarks, Lula highlighted the role of voter turnout in protecting democratic institutions.

"We managed to convince people that voting was extremely important to safeguard democracy in Brazil. We defeated foreign intervention through digital platforms. Brazil is no one's backyard. We will change the way we run this country; we will make people participate more in the decision-making process," Lula said.

Election details and global reactions

The 80-year-old former factory worker and leader of the Workers' Party (PT) secured re-election after a closely fought run-off against Flávio Bolsonaro, following a tied first round. Datafolha projections with 99.77% of votes counted showed Lula securing 51.76% of valid votes against 48.24% for Bolsonaro.

The election marks the first time since the restoration of direct presidential elections in 1989 that a candidate has won the presidency after placing second in the initial round.

Congratulations poured in from across Latin America:

• Claudia Sheinbaum (President of Mexico): "Long live democracy, the people of Brazil won. Congratulations, President Lula!"

• Rodrigo Paz (President of Bolivia): "I congratulate President Lula on his victory. Bolivia and Brazil are neighbouring and sister countries, united by a shared history and common challenges. We will continue working together to strengthen our relationship and generate more opportunities for our nations."

• Santiago Peña (President of Paraguay): "Congratulations, Lula, on your election as President of Brazil. I salute the Brazilian people for this great democratic journey. Paraguay and Brazil share a common agenda of integration and development. We will continue working together for the well-being of our people."

Key context & political history

(ANI)