Brazilian voters have denied Latin America's resurgent right its ultimate prize. Lula's reelection limits U.S. President Trump's influence in the region and cements Brazil as a counterweight to Washington.
Bolsonaro quickly refused to concede defeat and asked for the election results to be annulled after an evening of chaos at some polling places that followed a last-minute decision to extend voting by two hours.
With 100% of the vote counted, Brazil's electoral court announced that the soon to be 81-year-old Lula held an unassailable lead of nearly 4.4 million votes over opponent Flávio Bolsonaro.
This weekend, voters in Brazil head to the polls in a high-stakes presidential runoff that could reshape that country's political future. Will Brazil join a rightward shift across parts of the Americas, or stick with its left-wing leadership? Voting is compulsory for most adults, and the race has deepened political divisions across the country. Stephanie Sy reports.