Tom Phillips to examine Lula’s term and Brazil’s ties to Trump’s administration
The Guardian’s Latin America correspondent, Tom Phillips, will begin answering reader questions on the election result, what it means for Brazil and the wider region, and what the country’s future may hold, from 15:00 GMT on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. The outlet invited readers to comment with a question below or email [email protected].
The runoff gave incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva 51.79% of the vote against Flávio Bolsonaro’s 48.21%. The victory secured a fourth presidential term, which would see Lula become Brazil’s longest-serving leader. The Guardian described the comeback as “the most stunning political fightback in modern Brazilian history.”
Lula had lost the first round to Flávio Bolsonaro before reversing that verdict in the runoff. The Guardian described Bolsonaro as a “far right rival” and said the second-round outcome was the first time in Brazilian electoral history that a first-round verdict had been overturned.
The count followed a supreme court judge’s decision to extend polling time by two hours. Lula’s campaign accused opponents of sabotaging public transport in an attempt to keep Lula’s voters from the polls.
Flávio Bolsonaro refused to accept the result, as his father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, had done after the previous presidential election four years earlier. Jair Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year jail term for his part in an attempted coup. Flávio called Lula’s victory “sacanagem,” a Portuguese word that roughly translates as “bullshit.”
The Guardian said Brazil remains “a deeply divided country” and that Lula will have to navigate a “hostile Congress, packed full of Bolsonaro allies” if he is to make significant legislative changes in his fourth term. The Guardian also described his options as constrained by a “gloomy economic outlook,” with Brazil experiencing soaring debt and entrenched structural problems.
As Lula turns 81, The Guardian asked whether the re-elected president has the energy to “face down the far right opposition” for another four years and lay the groundwork for a credible successor.
Other questions concern what Lula’s latest victory means for Brazil and the wider region, including the country’s relationship with Donald Trump’s administration and what the country’s future may hold.
The Guardian’s Opinion columnist Jordana Timerman wrote that “Lula’s victory shows that the rightward shift is neither inevitable nor irreversible. But the movement retains substantial electoral support, influence over the political agenda and a powerful ally in Washington.”