WASHINGTON — Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva capped a political career marked by dramatic transformations by winning a fourth presidential term, having started his life as a factory worker before climbing to power, enduring imprisonment, and returning to the presidency.

Lula, the candidate for the Workers’ Party (PT), secured 51.79% of the valid votes in the second round of the presidential election held on Sunday, compared to 48.21% for his rival, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, according to final results from Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court (TSE).

Lula garnered over 64,256,000 votes, while Bolsonaro received approximately 59,826,000.

Flávio Bolsonaro had led the first round on October 4, obtaining 47.03% of the valid votes against Lula’s 45.16%.

With this victory, Lula became the first presidential candidate in Brazil to reverse a first-round deficit and overcome his opponent in the runoff since the two-round system was adopted in 1989.

The election campaign was dominated by issues such as the cost of living, public safety, corruption, and foreign policy—particularly strained relations with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

From Factory Worker to the Presidency

Born on October 27, 1945, in Garanhuns, Pernambuco State, in northeastern Brazil, Lula grew up in a impoverished family before relocating with them to São Paulo, where he began working at an early age.

In his youth, he worked in a factory and underwent vocational training in metallurgy, later losing a finger in a workplace accident.

During the period of military rule, Lula became active in the trade union movement and went on to head the Metalworkers’ Union of São Bernardo do Campo, an industrial hub near São Paulo.

He gained national prominence after leading widespread labor strikes in the late 1970s. In 1980, he co-founded the Workers’ Party alongside fellow unionists, leftist intellectuals, and opponents of the military regime.

In 1986, he was elected as a federal deputy representing São Paulo State. He ran unsuccessful presidential bids in 1989, 1994, and 1998, before finally prevailing in the 2002 election and taking office in January 2003.

During his first two presidential terms, Brazil experienced a surge in exports and economic growth, while social programs—most notably Bolsa Família—provided financial assistance to millions of low-income families.

Poverty rates fell markedly; however, that era was also marred by corruption scandals involving high-ranking officials and lawmakers.

After reaching the constitutional limit allowing a president a maximum of two consecutive terms, he was succeeded by his political ally Dilma Rousseff following her victory in the 2010 election.

Imprisonment and Political Comeback

Lula’s political trajectory suffered a severe setback during the sprawling corruption investigations known as Lava Jato (“Operation Car Wash”), which saw politicians and business executives prosecuted on charges of bribery and money laundering.

Lula was convicted of corruption and money laundering and was imprisoned in April 2018, preventing him from participating in that year’s presidential election.

After spending 580 days in prison, he was released in November 2019.

In 2021, Brazil’s Supreme Court annulled his convictions on the grounds that the court that tried the cases lacked proper jurisdiction, while also concluding that former judge Sérgio Moro had demonstrated bias during one of the trials.

These rulings restored Lula’s political rights, enabling him to return to the electoral arena.

In the 2022 election, he narrowly defeated incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro, capturing roughly 50.9% of the valid votes to assume the presidency for a third term.

One week after his inauguration in January 2023, supporters of Jair Bolsonaro stormed the Congress, Supreme Court, and Presidential Palace in Brasília in an attempt to overturn the election outcome.

The Third Term and Domestic Policy

Throughout his third term, Lula prioritized poverty reduction, increased social spending, public investment, and environmental protection, alongside efforts to preserve fiscal stability.

His administration expanded social assistance programs and took steps to boost wages and employment; however, concerns regarding the cost of living, public spending, and violent crime weighed negatively on his approval ratings.

His government also struggled to pass key legislative proposals in Congress due to the significant influence of centrist and conservative parties.

During his campaign for a fourth term, Lula pledged to maintain the Bolsa Família program, increase affordable housing, and strengthen the public health and education sectors.

His economic pledges included higher taxes on high earners, continued infrastructure investment, support for domestic production, and further increases to the minimum wage.

On the environmental front, he committed to ending deforestation by 2030, while continuing support for oil and natural gas development.

However, his electoral victory does not grant his party control over Congress, leaving his administration tasked with negotiating with other political forces to fulfill its commitments on tax reforms, social spending, public safety, and environmental legislation.

Foreign Policy

On the international stage, Lula sought to deepen cooperation with emerging economies through the BRICS grouping, worked to strengthen ties with China, and advocated for Brazil to play a more active diplomatic role globally.

BRICS originated in 2009 as a forum comprising China, Russia, Brazil, and India under the name “BRIC,” before renaming to “BRICS” in 2011 with the addition of South Africa.

The group expanded into a 10-nation bloc following the accession of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates in 2024, and Indonesia in 2025.

Lula also criticized the Israeli genocidal war in Gaza, declared his support for the State of Palestine, and called for international disputes to be resolved through negotiation.

Brazil’s relations with the United States grew strained following President Donald Trump’s imposition of tariffs on Brazilian goods and his explicit endorsement of former President Jair Bolsonaro.

Lula accused Washington of meddling in Brazil’s internal affairs, making the defense of national sovereignty a central pillar of his campaign.

His victory comes amid a rise of conservative forces across several Latin American nations, lending additional weight to the left wing’s presence in the regional political landscape.

Lula’s fourth four-year presidential term is scheduled to begin on January 5, 2027.

(Anadolu Agency)