The Mexican president praised Brazil’s election result after the leftist leader defeated far-right Senator Bolsonaro.
On Monday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum celebrated Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s re-election in Brazil, after the leftist leader defeated far-right Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro in a runoff election.
“Very happy about Lula’s victory in Brazil. Many, many congratulations to President Lula and the people of Brazil. It is a breath of fresh air for Latin America and the Caribbean. We are very, very happy,” Sheinbaum said during her morning news conference.
Her remarks came a day after the Mexican president congratulated Lula through her social media accounts, celebrating the election result with the message: “Long live democracy, the people of Brazil won. Congratulations, President Lula!”
With the Brazilian president’s victory, Mexico and Brazil, the two largest economies in Latin America, will maintain leftist governments in a regional landscape marked by U.S.-backed far-right rulers.
Serei eternamente grato ao povo brasileiro. Cada gesto de confiança, cada voto e cada passo dado em defesa da democracia valeram a pena. A emoção dessa caminhada fortalece a certeza de que ainda temos muito a construir juntos.
The text reads, “I will be eternally grateful to the Brazilian people. Every gesture of trust, every vote, and every step taken in defense of democracy has been worth it. The emotion of this journey reinforces the certainty that we still have much to build together. This victory is not an end point, but rather a renewal of our commitment to Brazil, to social justice, to sovereignty, and to the hope for a better future for all. The path continues with an even stronger commitment to our people. Thank you very much, Brazil! This victory is ours!
Sheinbaum, who has expressed her political affinity with Lula, had ruled out Oct. 5 that a potential defeat for the Brazilian leader would lead to greater isolation for Mexico in Latin America.
On Sunday, the Workers’ Party leader defeated Flavio Bolsonaro with nearly 52% of the vote and staged an unprecedented comeback: Lula da Silva became the first candidate to win a presidential runoff after finishing second in the first round.
Hundreds of thousands of Brazilians poured into the streets of the country’s largest cities on Sunday night to celebrate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s runoff victory, sealed with more than 64 million votes and a comeback without precedent in Brazil’s democratic history.
Hundreds of thousands of Brazilians filled the streets of the country’s main cities to celebrate the victory of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the Presidential election on Sunday, October 25.
With 100% of the vote counted, the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) indicated that the current President obtained 51.79% of the votes against 48.21% for the ultra-right senator Flávio Bolsonaro.
According to the official tally, Lula exceeded 64 million votes, making him the first president elected four times in the country. The count turned out to be a historic comeback, with 10 million votes won by the leader of the Workers’ Party (PT) between the first and second round.
Salvador, the capital of Bahia state, erupted first. The Rio Vermelho neighborhood, a traditional gathering point for left-wing activists, was taken over by the celebrations. Largo da Dinha filled with Lula voters, and fireworks lit the night sky near the Casa de Iemanjá. In the Imbuí district, neighbors leaned from the balconies of their buildings to join the party. More festivities unfolded in Graça, Pituba and Vila Laura.
🇧🇷 | Festejos masivos en São Paulo: miles de personas colmaron la Avenida Paulista para celebrar la victoria de Lula da Silva tras imponerse en el balotaje frente a Flávio Bolsonaro. Banderas, cánticos y euforia tiñen el corazón financiero de Brasil. pic.twitter.com/67Ipi8gK8e
Bahia was decisive. The state contributed more than 6.4 million votes in the second round, 71% of its total, and almost 1.2 million in Salvador alone, 73% of the capital’s ballots, according to BNews. Those numbers helped reverse the first round, when Flávio Bolsonaro had finished ahead.
The President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the Vice-president, Geraldo Alckmin, celebrate the electoral victory along with the people in Sao Paulo / Photos: EFE.
A Red Sea of People
In the federal capital, block 405 of Asa Norte became the main concentration point for Lula’s supporters. A true “sea of people,” dressed in red and waving flags and umbrellas, vibrated when the official victory announcement arrived. Celebrations also spread to Águas Claras and Guará, where some drivers sounded their horns through the night.
Across the political divide, supporters of Flavio Bolsonaro and of reelected Federal District governor Celina Leão had planned a Victory Act at the National Museum of the Republic that same Sunday. The contrast between the two gatherings captured the split that defined the contest.
In Rio de Janeiro, crowds also took to the streets to mark the historic comeback, one that Datafolha described as unprecedented since 1989.
SEGUIDORES DE LULA SALEN A CELEBRAR SU REELECCIÓN EN BRASILIA
🇧🇷🎉 Simpatizantes del presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva se congregaron en una zona de bares de Brasilia, la capital de Brasil, para festejar su victoria sobre Flávio Bolsonaro. pic.twitter.com/zRm57ipIzX
With this recent electoral victory, Lula, now 80 years old, returns for a fourth term after finishing second in the first round, and after the courts sentenced his previous rival, Jair Bolsonaro, to more than 27 years in prison for attempting to overturn the 2022 result. Flávio Bolsonaro, the imprisoned former President’s eldest son, carried the family banner this time and lost it.
The reelection also comes with a strengthened legislative position. The Workers’ Party (PT) gained more than 20 seats in the Chamber of Deputies compared with 2022.
The Brazilian result breaks with a regional trend that had favored right-wing candidates allied with Trump, and it repositions Brazil at the center of South American politics.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva celebrated his reelection on Sunday with a pledge to govern for all 215 million Brazilians and a warning that digital platforms will be regulated.
The triumph arrived with 51.79% of valid votes against 48.21% for Flavio Bolsonaro, with 99.99% of the votes countedcounted. Lula had finished second in the first round and secured a fourth term with the runoff.
Once the ballots were tallied, the Brazilian President affirmed that there are no more adversaries. “I have to govern for 215 million,” Lula said, promising to treat all citizens on equal terms and to give women greater respect in public policy.
The President promised to make full day schooling universal through high school and to extend the Pé-de-Meia incentive to all students at that level, a program that keeps young people from abandoning the classroom for work. He also announced a university version of the program.
Lula also announced that care policies for older people will be taken seriously, calling the elderly responsible for the existence of Brazilians. “I have no preference for any religion. I have preference for the faith of the Brazilian people,” he said, defending a secular state that guarantees full religious freedom.
The re-elected President framed the result as more than a win at the polls. “This election was a defeat of denialism. It was a defeat of the lie,” he declared. He confessed that the debates left him shaken, despite his long experience and a year of constant meetings with leaders of the G20, the BRICS and the G7.
None of that, he said, prepared him to face “a genuine representative of the militias in this country,” referring to Flavio Bolsonaro. “I never imagined that a person could lie so much with such shamelessness, as if he had not a bit of sincerity inside him,” he added.
Minha gratidão eterna ao povo brasileiro, à juventude que tomou as ruas em defesa da democracia e a cada pessoa que fez um esforço imenso para votar e defender o futuro do nosso país.
Vocês me emocionam e renovam minha esperança. Essa vitória é de um povo que acredita, que luta… pic.twitter.com/bYpKMdFgP0
Lula announced that digital platforms will be regulated and demanded that crimes committed online receive the same treatment as crimes in real life. He questioned companies that earn millions in Brazil without paying taxes while trying to steer the vote, and denounced foreign interference through those platforms during the campaign.
The President’s plan for technology carries a nationalist stamp. “I do not want to depend on North American artificial intelligence. I want to create a Brazilian one,” he said. To achieve it, he proposed using the country’s renewable energy to attract data centers, on the condition that companies reserve part of their capacity for Brazilian information.
That project feeds a larger ambition, to move Brazil from a developing country to a developed one, powered by the digital, green and creative economies. Lula credited the people’s creative potential rather than himself. “We want to be a central country in political and economic decisions and in the promotion of peace,” he said.
“We are going to teach the world how climate policies are handled in this country,” he promised, noting that this year Brazil will reduce deforestation for four consecutive years for the first time.
Lula thanked the people for their generosity in the second round and the young people who took to the streets to defend democracy. He recalled the elderly who reached the polls carried by their grandchildren and cancer patients who voted anyway, convinced their ballot was essential. To that conviction he attributed the lowest abstention and the fewest null votes in the country’s history.
Lula achieves his fourth term after an unprecedented comeback, and his party, the Worker’s Party (PT), gains more than 20 seats over what he achieved in 2022 in the Chamber of Deputies. The re-election, which term officially starts on January 1, 2027, represents a break with the regional trend of triumphs by right-wing candidates allied to U.S. President Trump.
Presidents and former leaders across Latin America celebrated Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s fourth term on Sunday after the official count confirmed his runoff victory in Brazil with 51.79 percent of valid votes.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won Sunday’s presidential runoff against Senator Flávio Bolsonaro with 51.79% of valid votes, securing a fourth term, with 99.99% of precincts reported, and drawing congratulations from leaders across Latin America.
With nearly all precincts counted, Lula had 64,255,891 votes against 59,825,984 for Bolsonaro, a margin of 4,429,907 votes. Lula had finished second in the first round, and the pollster Datafolha described the turnaround as unprecedented since 1989.
Latin America Reacts
Former Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner was the first to write, addressing the Brazilian people before the candidate. She called the vote “an authentic electoral October 17,” a reference to the 1945 mass workers’ rally in Buenos Aires that secured the release of Juan Domingo Perón and is considered the founding date of Peronism. She added that Lula, in his seventh presidential election, “knew how to awaken feeling and meaning in his compatriots to win this battle.”
FELICITACIONES… primero al pueblo brasileño que hoy protagonizó un auténtico 17 de Octubre electoral y después… a usted, compañero presidente Lula, que en su séptima elección presidencial supo despertar en sus compatriotas sentimiento y sentido para ganar esta batalla.
From Havana, President Miguel Díaz-Canel spoke on behalf of the Cuban government and people. He celebrated a “historic victory that guarantees the continuity of the path of peace, sovereignty and social justice undertaken by the Brazilian people under your leadership.” He also offered Cuba’s support for Latin American and Caribbean unity and integration.
Estimado hermano @LulaOficial, te felicito en nombre del gobierno y pueblo cubanos por esta victoria histórica que garantiza la continuidad del camino de paz, soberanía y justicia social emprendido por el pueblo brasileño bajo tu liderazgo.
The President of Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi, communicated this Sunday with the Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, to congratulate him on his victory in the second round of elections and highlight the democratic holiday that the country lived.
“I just got in touch with Brazil’s president-elect, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a friend. I congratulated him on the triumph and for the democratic holiday that represents an electoral process”, said Orsi in his social networks.
Acabo de comunicarme con el presidente electo de Brasil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, un amigo.
Lo felicité por el triunfo y por la fiesta democrática que representa un proceso electoral.
For his part, the President of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, congratulated Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for his victory in the second round of the presidential elections of Brazil, in which he defeated the ultra-right senator Flávio Bolsonaro.
“Congratulations @LulaOficial on your election as President of Brazil. Greeting the Brazilian people for this great democratic day”, published Peña on social network X.
The ruler affirmed that Paraguay and Brazil share “a common agenda of integration and development”, while promising to continue “working together for the well-being” of their peoples.
Felicidades @LulaOficial por tu elección como Presidente del Brasil. Saludo al pueblo brasileño por esta gran jornada democrática. El Paraguay y Brasil comparten una agenda común de integración y desarrollo. Seguiremos trabajando juntos por el bienestar de nuestra gente.
“I congratulate President @LulaOficial on his victory. Bolivia and Brazil are neighboring and fraternal countries, united by a shared history and common challenges,” stated the Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz,while he seeks to strengthen bilateral relationship and create more opportunities for both nations.
Felicito al presidente @LulaOficial por su victoria. Bolivia y Brasil somos países vecinos y hermanos, unidos por una historia y desafíos comunes. Seguiremos trabajando juntos para fortalecer nuestra relación y generar más oportunidades para nuestras naciones. 🇧🇴🤝🇧🇷
Bolivia’s former President Evo Morales chose a more intimate tone. “Brother of my soul and comrade in struggle, congratulations on this beautiful and heroic victory,” he wrote on social media.
For the Aymara leader, the Brazilian’s re-election reaches across the continent. “Your triumph renews the hope of the peoples who fight for social justice, dignity and sovereignty,” he added, closing with cheers for the Brazilian people and the Latin American region.
@LulaOficial ! Hermano del alma y compañero de lucha, felicidades por esta hermosa y heroica victoria!
Tu triunfo renueva la esperanza de los pueblos que luchan por la justicia social, la dignidad y la soberanía. Desde Bolivia, te enviamos un abrazo revolucionario y fraterno,… pic.twitter.com/XflrKlOz5F
Colombian Former President Gustavo Petro argued that Brazil had halted the advance of fascism in Latin America and credited a people who resisted a flood of fake bots. He also highlighted Brazil’s electoral system, which runs on public software and which, in his view, citizens guarded to prevent fraud.
Petro affirmed that the victory saves social justice and the country’s natural resources from foreign ambition. “Well done Lula,” he wrote. “This is a triumph for humanity and a strategic defeat for the forces of darkness.“
Se ha detenido el fascismo en America Latina en Brasil.
El pueblo brasileño libre logró frenar la avalancha de los bots falsos y el sistema electoral con software público y bien cuidado por la gente evitó fraudes, se salva la justicia social en Brasil y el intento extranjero de… pic.twitter.com/oETnxYC6Sq
Mexico’s President, Claudia Sheinbaum, also congratulated Lula. “Long live democracy, the people of Brazil won. Congratulations President Lula!” Sheinbaum noted in a social media post.
Viva la democracia, ganó el pueblo de Brasil. ¡Felicidades presidente Lula!
In the 2022 runoff, Lula beat Jair Bolsonaro by 50.90% to 49.10%. Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters then called for a military coup, and courts later sentenced the former President to 27 years in prison for trying to overturn that result. From prison, Bolsonaro named his eldest son, 44, as his candidate.
Earlier on Sunday, voting was extended by two hours, to 7 P.M., by Supreme Court justice Cristiano Zanin. The vote count was paused and then resumed.
On October 4, Flavio Bolsonaro had led the first round with 47.03% against Lula’s 45.16%. Surveys on the eve of the runoff showed a technical tie at 51 and 49 percent. The final tally reversed that picture and closed the door on the Bolsonaro family’s return to power.
Lula will be sworn in for his fourth term on January 5, 2027. His new victory is expected to have significant implications beyond Brazil’s borders. As the largest economy and most populous country in Latin America, Brazil plays a central role in regional diplomacy, trade, and environmental policy.
With 99.75% of the vote counted, Brazil’s presidential runoff was declared “mathematically defined,” putting incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on track to defeat Flavio Bolsonaro.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has secured reelection as Brazilian President, defeating Flávio Bolsonaro in a closely contested presidential runoff and winning an unprecedented fourth term in office, with a difference of over four million ballots and more than three percentage points.
The count, which surpassed 99 percent of polling stations, was declared mathematically defined well before the final numbers landed.
The result marks a significant political moment for the region’s largest democracy, signaling both continuity with Lula’s political legacy and a new chapter in Brazil’s evolving democratic landscape.
As vote counting progressed throughout the evening, Lula steadily maintained an advantage that ultimately became impossible for his rival to overcome. Electoral analysts and officials declared the race mathematically decided before the final ballots were counted, effectively confirming Lula’s return to the nation’s highest office.
The election represented one of the most consequential political contests in recent Brazilian history. Lula, a president known for his social programs and efforts to reduce poverty during his previous administrations, campaigned on promises of economic inclusion, institutional stability, and national reconciliation. Throughout the campaign, he emphasized the need to strengthen democratic institutions, expand opportunities for lower-income Brazilians, and restore Brazil’s international standing.
Flávio Bolsonaro entered the race carrying the political legacy of his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempting to overturn the 2022 election results. His campaign appealed primarily to conservative voters, highlighting issues related to public security, economic liberalization, and traditional values. The contest therefore became a referendum not only on competing political platforms but also on two distinct visions for Brazil’s future.
Voter turnout remained strong across much of the country, reflecting the high stakes of the election. Major urban centers, as well as many rural areas, reported significant participation levels as citizens headed to polling stations to determine the direction of the nation for the coming years.
Political observers noted that the campaign was marked by intense debates over economic policy, environmental protection, public spending, and Brazil’s role in international affairs. These issues dominated public discussions and helped mobilize millions of voters on both sides of the political spectrum.
Lula’s victory is expected to have significant implications beyond Brazil’s borders. As the largest economy and most populous country in Latin America, Brazil plays a central role in regional diplomacy, trade, and environmental policy.
One area likely to receive immediate attention is environmental policy, particularly regarding the Amazon rainforest. During the campaign, Lula reiterated commitments to environmental protection and sustainable development, issues that have attracted growing international concern in recent years. Global leaders and environmental organizations are expected to monitor how these commitments translate into government action.
Economically, investors and business leaders will be looking for signals regarding fiscal policy, market regulation, and social spending priorities. Lula faces the challenge of balancing economic growth with social programs designed to reduce inequality and improve living standards for millions of Brazilians.
The election also highlights the resilience of Brazil’s democratic institutions. Despite a highly polarized political environment and an intensely competitive campaign, the electoral process proceeded under established constitutional rules. The public security balance described a day characterized by widespread calm and a low rate of irregularities at voting centers.
Lula, the President re-elected, becomes the most popular presidential candidate in Brazil’s history and he will be sworn in for a fourth term on January 5, 2027. With the election effectively settled before the final count was completed, Brazil begins a new political era under the leadership of Lula, a figure whose return to power is likely to influence both national policy and regional politics for years to come.
Brazil’s final polling stations closed at 7 p.m. local time Sunday, ending a two-hour Supreme Court extension and clearing the way for the vote count to resume in the presidential runoff.
The official cutoff had been set for 5 P.M. local time but the Supreme Federal Court pushed it back two hours as the original deadline arrived. Under the decision, only precincts where balloting had not ended by 5 P.M. Brasilia time could keep receiving voters.
The last polling stations in Brazil shut their doors at 7 P.M. Brasilia time on Sunday, marking the end of an extraordinary two-hour window that the Supreme Court had ordered only minutes before the original deadline.
Once the extended voting period concluded, election officials formally closed the polls and resumed the nationwide vote count.
The Court’s notification arrived shortly after 5 P.M., when voting was already due to close. By that point, hundreds of polling stations had finished the day’s work, printed their ballot bulletins and even begun shipping equipment to the regional electoral courts.
The definitive shutdown shifted attention to the Superior Electoral Court, which prepared to restart the count. Officials had frozen it six minutes after it began, when only 0.25% of ballots had been processed.
With counting now underway once again, millions of Brazilians are awaiting the official results that will determine the country’s next President who will govern Brazil from 2027 to 2031. The outcome is expected to shape Brazil’s political direction, economic priorities, and international relations over the coming years.
For now, the process rests on the resumed tally. The coming hours will show whether the early lead holds as ballot bulletins arrive from across the South American country.
Brazil’s electoral authority said Sunday that voting in the presidential runoff will continue only at polling places still open past 5 p.m., with ballot records, counting and results resuming after 7 p.m. under a court order.
The Brazilian Superior Electoral Court (TSE) announced the measure on its official account, describing it as a response to a ruling by Supreme Federal Court justice Cristiano Zanin.
Under the decision, only precincts where balloting had not ended by 5 P.M. Brasilia time could keep receiving voters.
Election officials suspended the receipt of printed ballot records, the tally of votes and the release of results, and said all three would resume after 7 P.M. local time.
Voting in Brazil closes nationwide at 5 p.m. in every election. The order by Zanin gives electoral authorities room to let voters cast ballots where local conditions kept lines moving past the cutoff.
Almost all Superior Electoral Court ministers had gathered in the office of the court’s presidency to await the end of balloting, the statement added.
Esclarecimento sobre prorrogação da votação
O Tribunal Superior Eleitoral (@TSEjusbr) informa que, conforme decisão do ministro Cristiano Zanin, do Supremo Tribunal Federal, a eleição segue em andamento apenas nos locais em que a votação não havia sido encerrada às 17h.
The electoral authorities will resume the receipt of the ballot-box bulletins (known as BUs), the totalization of votes and the release of results after 7 P.M. local time. These bulletins are the printed summaries of each electronic voting machine’s tally, and they feed the national count.
Brazil conducts its elections entirely on electronic voting machines managed by the Superior Electoral Court and the regional electoral courts. The system has drawn criticism over transparency, although no case of fraud has ever been confirmed.
The Superior Electoral Court heads the country’s Electoral Justice, which handles voter registration, biometric identification, vote collection, tabulation and the final certification of results.
Sunday’s vote settles the presidency after the October 4 first round produced no outright winner. Senator Flávio Bolsonaro led with 47.03% of valid votes, ahead of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at 45.16%, forcing the runoff held on the last Sunday of October.
Brazil’s two round model requires a candidate to win more than half (50+1) of valid votes in the first round. Otherwise the top two finishers meet again three weeks later. Flávio Bolsonaro (Liberal Party) is the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who was barred from office and later endorsed him. Lula da Silva (Worker’s Party -PT) returned to the presidency in 2023 after courts restored his political rights.
Results are expected later Sunday night once tabulation resumes after 7 P.M. The Court has not indicated when it will publish the first partial totals, a schedule that now depends on the pace of the last polling places to close.
Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court ordered polling stations to remain open nationwide until 7:00 P.M. Brasilia time on Sunday, extending the runoff vote after both candidates asked for more time.
Federal Supreme Court Minister Justice Cristiano Zanin issued the ruling, which pushed the deadline back from the original schedule set for the second round between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro. The change applied across all of Brazil.
The precautionary measure, with immediate effect, extends by two hours the closing of the polling stations, which was set for 5:00 P.M. Brasilia time., and applies to all electoral sections in Brazil. The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) is responsible for executing it.
“Considering the gravity of the facts presented, which reached the Supreme Federal Court at 4:32:49 P.M. today, and given the evident urgency of the measure, I order a two-hour extension, until 7:00 p.m. Brasilia time, of the closing of vote reception at all polling stations in Brazil,” Zanin detailed.
The decision came after the campaigns of Lula and Bolsonaro had requested to extend the schedule due to transportation problems in some cities and difficulties due to rains in other areas of Brazil.
The request had spanned three states, reflecting concern that severe weather could depress turnout across a wide stretch of southern and southeastern Brazil. However, Zanin’s ruling went beyond the listed municipalities, extending the schedule across the entire country rather than only in the rain-affected locations.
Confira abaixo o Ofício da Presidência do @TSEjusbr sobre o cumprimento da decisão do Supremo Tribunal Federal sobre a prorrogação do horário das Eleições 2026. pic.twitter.com/1c3D0s3LhA
The extension added two hours to the voting day. Polling stations that would have closed in the late afternoon remained open into the evening, giving voters in affected regions more time to reach their designated locations.
The Supreme Court’s nationwide extension acknowledged that voters beyond those municipalities could also face obstacles reaching polling places before the original deadline. The ruling treated the request as grounds for a broader safeguard covering the whole electorate.
With the later cutoff in place, authorities reminded citizens that anyone already in line at 7:00 P.M, local time would still be allowed to cast a ballot.
Officials have described the unified national schedule as a way to reduce confusion in a country of continental scale. The legal maneuvering unfolded on a day already marked by isolated logistical incidents. The extension gave electoral authorities additional time to process voters in the states most exposed to severe weather, while keeping the process unified from north to south.
Brazil’s top electoral authority reported a generally calm second-round vote on October 25, as more than 158.7 million registered citizens chose the country’s next head of State and renewed regional executives across the nation.
The preliminary report had confirmed the preventive replacement of 900 ballot boxes that presented technical failures, a figure representing only 0.18% of the equipment installed nationwide. The electoral body also maintains more than 48,000 contingency devices ready for deployment in the event of any operational problem.
The public security balance described a day characterized by widespread calm and a low rate of irregularities at voting centers. Security forces counted 138 isolated events, including attempts to violate the secrecy of the ballot and three cases of alleged vote buying.
The second round follows the first-round vote held earlier in October. In the first round, on October 4, far-right senator Flávio Bolsonaro (Liberal Party) got 47.03% of the valid vote, while President Lula da Silva (Workers’ Party-PT), received 45.16%, in a process marked by extreme polarization. Brazil’s electoral system requires a runoff when no candidate secures an outright majority in the opening round, concentrating the contest between the two leading contenders.
The court highlighted that Brazil’s electronic ballot box system marked 30 years of uninterrupted operation. Following this, the court has emphasized that the electronic voting platform delivers preliminary results within hours of polls closing, a feature officials point to as evidence of the system’s efficiency.
Voting results from abroad show split support as runoff count continues.
On Sunday, voting by Brazilian citizens residing in Asia and Oceania concluded with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva winning in five of the nine nations in the region.
Far-right Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, who is the presidential candidate of the Liberal Party (PL), secured victories in the four remaining jurisdictions.
Shortly after noon, the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) published a first report on votes abroad, where some 918,000 Brazilians are legally eligible to participate in the presidential runoff. So far the results are as follows:
Lula da Silva
The Workers’ Party leader won in Finland (74.83%), Estonia (82.90%), Cyprus (53.70%), Jordan (90.51%), Syria (90.60%), Kuwait (78.48%), Saudi Arabia (61.25%), Egypt (78.95%), Kenya (64.44%), China (73.67%), Singapore (63.77%), South Korea (64.35%), Australia (63.46%) and New Zealand (80.54%).
Brazilian voters living in Tokyo turned out on Sunday to cast their ballots in the tight presidential runoff. 🇯🇵🇧🇷
As polling stations opened abroad, members of the diaspora expressed contrasting visions for the future of South America's largest nation, covering topics ranging… pic.twitter.com/YVGHP0SBnI
The far-right senator have prevailed in Greece (54.95%), South Africa (57.92%), Mozambique (52%), Qatar (55.08%), the United Arab Emirates (54.56%), Thailand (51.72%), Indonesia (60.53%), Hong Kong (51.15%), Taiwan (58.04%), Malaysia (51.76%), the Philippines (59.09%) and Japan (80.08%).
Results Abroad Do Not Indicate a Trend
As of noon Sunday, Bolsonaro held a lead in eight countries and Lula in six. Nevertheless, information on electoral behavior in another 67 countries had not yet been incorporated into the official count.
“Portugal and the U.S., where important communities of Brazilians eligible to vote are concentrated, remained pending the closing of polls in the initial tally,” the outlet Cronica Digital reported.
“In the first round, Lula obtained 157,387 valid votes abroad, equivalent to 47.57 percent, while Flavio Bolsonaro received 143,900, equivalent to 43.49 percent,” it recalled.
Statistically speaking, voting abroad is not significant for drawing conclusions about the final direction of the runoff, since only 0.5% of Brazilian electors reside outside their country.
President of the BRICS New Development Bank received a warm welcome from Workers’ Party supporters.
On Sunday, former Brazilian President and current President of the BRICS New Development Bank Dilma Rousseff exercised her right to vote at Santa Marcelina School, located in the Pampulha region of Belo Horizonte.
The progressive leader arrived at the polling station during the presidential election runoff and was warmly welcomed by supporters of the Workers’ Party (PT).
During the day, she was accompanied by her great-nephew and federal deputy-elect, Pedro Rousseff; federal deputy Rogerio Correia; and federal deputy-elect Bella Gonçalves.
Activists gathered at the site expressed their support for the former president through fighting slogans such as “Dilma, warrior of the Brazilian people” and popular chants in support of her political career. Rousseff greeted the supporters and posed with them before heading to the ballot boxes.
SAFTU Statement of Solidarity with Brazil’s Workers and People
Brazilian workers, Indigenous Peoples, landless families and all those who have struggled for dignity and social justice must come out in their millions to defend the gains won through years of struggle.
The welcome Rousseff received on Sunday differed substantially from the events of the first round of voting held Oct. 4. On that occasion, she faced a hostile atmosphere created by far-right groups, which forced her to leave the site as quickly as possible to prevent physical attacks by Bolsonaro’s supporters.
Currently, Rousseff resides in Shanghai, because of her responsibilities as head of the BRICS multilateral financial institution. However, she maintains her voter registration in the capital of the state of Minas Gerais.
Her in-person participation in the election reaffirms the commitment of the PT’s historic leaders to popular mobilization and the consolidation of democracy in Brazil.
In the first round, Flavio Bolsonaro received 56.1 million votes, or 47%, while Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, garnered 53.8 million votes, or 45.16%. Abstention totaled 33.5 million, equivalent to 21.08% of registered voters, making this segment of the population the key battleground in the political contest in recent days.
At the closing rally of his campaign in Sao Paulo, Lula da Silva denounced ties between Rio de Janeiro criminal organizations and Flavio Bolsonaro, whom he described as a person “who does not have the political, moral or ethical qualifications to become president.”
Voters cast ballots for far-right senator Bolsonaro or incumbent Lula da Silva amid a mostly peaceful atmosphere.
On Sunday, the second round of Brazil’s presidential election drew thousands of Braziliasn to polling stations in Madrid, where they voted for their next president, choosing between far-right senator Flavio Bolsonaro and incumbent Luiz Inazio Lula da Silva.
The second day of voting in the Spanish capital saw large, orderly crowds throughout the morning and a mostly peaceful atmosphere, although some voters clashed at the entrance to Blanca de Castilla School over their ideological differences. Workers organizing the lines had to separate them.
“The flow of voters is quite impressive compared with the first round. Many, many voters who did not come in the first round are here for the second,” said Brazilian Consul Maria Angelica Ikeda.
“The atmosphere has been very good, even though this is a very tense election. Here on the street, there are people who support one candidate and people who support the other, but they are all calm. Everything is going very well,” she added.
The text reads, “The left-wing wave in Brazil will reveal a new generation of leaders. Lula for Democracy!”
In the first round, held Oct. 4, the results in Madrid were 3,571 votes for Lula da Silva and 2,333 votes for Flavio Bolsonaro.
“I believe there is no such thing as a perfect society. We have an endemic problem with corruption, and unfortunately, that is something that will be very difficult to solve under any circumstances,” said Ana Paula Santos, a Brazilian woman who has lived in Spain for 25 years.
“There are universal values that Bolsonaro has shown, through his actions, that he does not uphold. The vote is individual, but the consequences are collective,” she stressed, explaining why she voted for Lula da Silva.
Santos was accompanied by Cristina Ana Perez, another Brazilian who said she does not share Bolsonaro’s “very radical” views and therefore voted in favor of Lula da Silva’s re-election.
In Barcelona, more than 40,000 residents of Spain will be able to exercise their right to vote. In the Madrid consular jurisdiction, 23,520 Brazilians are eligible to vote, and polling is open until 5 p.m. local time.
Iliana Iotova, the favorite to reach the second round, advocates for ending military aid to Ukraine.
On Sunday, Bulgarians went to the polls to elect their next president. As many as 6.59 million voters are eligible to choose from 27 candidates, including incumbent President Iliana Iotova.
Polling stations across the country opened at 7 a.m. local time and are scheduled to close at 8 p.m. The first exit polls may be released immediately after voting ends, while the official results must be announced no later than Tuesday evening.
The president is elected for a five-year term. To win in the first round, a candidate must secure more than half of all valid votes, provided that voter turnout exceeds 50%.
Pre-election opinion polls suggest that a runoff is inevitable, as turnout is expected to remain at or below 50% and no candidate is projected to secure more than half of the vote in the first round.
On Sunday, the first round of the presidential election proceeded normally, but voter participation was historically low, reaching just 5.8% of the electorate by noon.
According to the Central Election Commission, this figure was barely more than half the turnout recorded at the same time during the previous presidential election, held in 2021, when participation stood at 10.2%.
Acting President Iotova, a former journalist and former member of the European Parliament with socialist leanings, is the clear favorite to advance to the second and decisive round of voting.
She will most likely face former interim Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, a former deputy governor of the Bulgarian National Bank and former lawmaker with pro-European leanings.
According to the latest polls, Iotova could win up to 47% of the vote, compared with 30% for Gyurov. Iotova was the right-hand woman of Rumen Radev, who served as president until January and is now prime minister.
. Support for Ukraine in Central and Eastern Europe
Public opinion across the region remains divided on military aid to Ukraine, according to the GLOBSEC Trends 2025 survey.
Strongest support for providing Ukraine with all the military assistance it requests comes from the… pic.twitter.com/6dGqS4JmDi
Iotova and Radev support ending military aid to Ukraine to prevent the conflict from dragging on and favor diplomacy as a means of ending the war.
Gyurov, by contrast, advocates greater military assistance to Ukraine, as well as a more active Bulgarian policy within NATO and the European Union in support of the invaded country. He believes a Russian victory would pose a threat to the security of all of Europe.
Political scientist Dimitar Ganev attributed voters’ lack of interest, on the one hand, to the parliamentary elections held April 19, which Radev won by a landslide, and, on the other, to Iotova’s substantial lead over her rival in the polls.
“I firmly believe that there will be a boom in Bulgaria and that there must be peace, stability and security. More than anyone else, we Bulgarians need dialogue, agreement, conversation, and unity,” Iotova told reporters after casting her ballot.
According to polling projections, turnout will not exceed 50%, and none of the candidates will win an absolute majority. As a result, a second and final round will be held Sunday, Nov. 1, between the two candidates who receive the most votes.
More voters are expected to participate in the second round as Lula da Silva faces Flavio Bolsonaro.
On Sunday, thousands of Brazilians went to the polls in Portugal to exercise their right to vote and elect their next president, most of them in Lisbon, the largest Brazilian polling station abroad.
“The expectation we had seems to be confirmed. Turnout will be much higher in the runoff. We expect around 50% of eligible voters to cast their ballots,” Brazilian Ambassador Raimundo Carreria Silva said.
Brazilians will have to choose their next president between Workers’ Party candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Liberal Party candidate Flavio Bolsonaro.
Supporters of both candidates gathered at the University City of Lisbon, where several buildings were set up as polling stations. The Portuguese capital has 78,833 registered voters eligible to cast ballots in the presidential election.
🇧🇷❗️🇵🇹 Vídeos publicados nas redes mostram concentração na Universidade de Lisboa após abertura das urnas
🇺🇸❓ Embora Portugal seja superado pelos EUA como maior comunidade fora do país, a capital portuguesa representa o maior colégio eleitoral, com ~79 mil eleitores aptos pic.twitter.com/0ay92j793N
The text reads, “Videos posted on social media show people gathering at the University of Lisbon following the opening of the polls. While the U.S. surpasses Portugal as a place of residence for the largest community of Brazilians living outside their home country, the Portuguese capital represents the largest overseas electoral district, with approximately 79,000 eligible voters.”
One Brazilian voter in Portugal is Sabine, who traveled from the Azores archipelago to Lisbon specifically to vote after not casting a ballot in the first round.
“I didn’t vote in the first round because I thought Lula was going to win. Since there was a tie, today I felt compelled to come here so we can consolidate our democracy,” she said, expressing confidence that Brazilian President Lula da Silva would be reelected.
In the first round, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva received the most votes, with 14,948 (53.51%) in Lisbon and 10,356 (52.49%) in Porto. Far-right senator Flavio Bolsonaro won in Faro with 1,305 votes (48.88%). On Oct. 6, the abstention rate in Portugal stood at 61.7%.
About 158.7 million voters are eligible to cast ballots as Lula da Silva faces Flavio Bolsonaro in a closely contested race.
On Sunday, about 158.7 million Brazilians are eligible to vote for their next president in a runoff election between incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro.
Polling stations will remain open until 5 p.m. and will serve voters who are in line at closing time. The first official presidential election results are expected to be known a few hours later.
In the first round of the presidential election, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro received 47% of the vote (56.1 million ballots), compared with 45% for Lula (53.8 million votes).
São Paulo, the country’s most populous state, remains Brazil’s largest electoral district, accounting for 21.5% of voters, followed by Minas Gerais (10.3%), Rio de Janeiro (8%), Bahia (7%) and Parana (5.4%).
Flávio Bolsonaro (PL) votou na manhã deste domingo (25), em uma escola em Vila Isabel, na Zona Norte do Rio de Janeiro. O candidato à Presidência chegou acompanhado da esposa, Fernanda Bolsonaro, de familiares e aliados políticos.
The text reads, “Flavio Bolsonaro (PL) cast his vote this Sunday morning (25) at a school in Vila Isabel, in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro. The presidential candidate arrived accompanied by his wife, Fernanda Bolsonaro, as well as family members and political allies.”
Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro Votes in Rio de Janeiro
At 8 a.m. Sunday, Liberal Party presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro voted at a school in the Vila Isabel neighborhood in the northern part of Rio de Janeiro.
“Wearing a bulletproof vest, the candidate arrived at the polling place accompanied by his wife, Fernanda; his mother, Rogeria; and Rio de Janeiro Gov.-elect Douglas Ruas,” news outlet Carta Capital reported.
“The time has come for real change. That was the case in the first round, and it should be the same in the second. Brazil cannot take another four years with things as they are. Everyone’s life has gotten worse; there is no reason to keep insisting on a mistake,” the far-right politician said.
“Rain or shine, let’s leave home and vote. Brazil will change, and Brazil will win,” he added, urging his supporters not to abstain from voting in the presidential runoff.
About 158.7 million voters are eligible to cast ballots, as polls project a technical tie between the two presidential candidates.
On Sunday, polling stations across Brazil opened on time at 8 a.m. local time for the presidential runoff, in which incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, are vying for the country’s top office.
About 158.7 million voters were called to the polls on Sunday, when six state governors will also be elected. Polling stations will remain open until 5 p.m. Abstention is expected to decline from the 21.08% recorded in the first round, the highest rate since 1998.
The same hours will apply to polling stations abroad, where about 919,000 people registered to participate in the election, a 32% increase compared with the 2022 elections.
As on Oct. 4, polling stations will serve voters who are in line at closing time. In the first round of the presidential election, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro received 47% of the vote (56.1 million ballots), compared with the 45.16% won by Lula (53.8 million votes).
Com orgulho, o Partido Socialista Europeu (PES- PSE) está em São Paulo, ao lado de Lula! 🇧🇷❤️ Na véspera das eleições, o nosso Secretário-Geral, @giacomofilibeck , participa desta mobilização em apoio a Lula e ao projeto de um Brasil com mais justiça social, igualdade de gênero e… pic.twitter.com/NMmsfxlSvQ
The text reads, “The Party of European Socialists (PES) is proud to be in Sao Paulo, standing with Lula! On the eve of the elections, our Secretary-General, Giacomo Filibeck, is taking part in this mobilization in support of Lula and a vision for Brazil that prioritizes greater social justice, gender equality, and environmental protection. We stand together in defense of democracy and in the fight for a fairer, more egalitarian Brazil—a country that offers opportunities for all!”
São Paulo, the country’s most populous state, remains Brazil’s largest electoral district, accounting for 21.5% of voters, followed by Minas Gerais (10.3%), Rio de Janeiro (8%), Bahia (7%) and Parana (5.4%), according to data from the Superior Electoral Court (TSE).
According to election polls released over the past week, the Workers’ Party leader and the far-right politician are in a technical tie, with a margin of error of 2 percentage points.
They criticize the far-right candidate’s positions on labor rights, national sovereignty, poverty, violence, the environment, and human rights.
On Friday, Folha de Sao Paulo published the contents of a letter in which 54 Brazilian Catholic bishops warn that far-right presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro threatens the church’s social doctrine, democracy, national sovereignty and the practice of the common good.
“We cannot remain neutral, lest our conscience or history condemn us in the future. Those who remained silent in the face of totalitarian threats that materialized in 20th-century Europe left a shameful legacy for future generations,” stated the “Letter from Catholic Bishops to the People of God Ahead of the Second Round of the 2026 Presidential Election.”
The signatories say they are in communion with the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) and aligned with the message issued by the organization’s Permanent Council, which defended the constitution and respect for the vote.
Besides urging voters to evaluate the records of the two candidates facing off in the Oct. 25 runoff, the bishops list the main positions through which Bolsonaro contradicts church teachings.
Labor Issues
The far-right candidate has consistently opposed eliminating the six-days-on, one-day-off work schedule and has proposed hourly pay, which “does not recognize the dignity of the worker and could bring this issue back to the forefront.”
National Sovereignty
Flavio Bolsonaro “promises Brazil’s submission to the United States, participated in a conspiracy to impose tariffs on Brazilian products, advocates foreign interference in elections, and promises to hand over our rare earth resources for U.S. exploitation.”
Poverty
The bishops cite the apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te and say the Liberal Party “has always publicly opposed social programs and the fight against poverty,” even though Flavio Bolsonaro now says he will maintain some of those programs.
🇧🇷⛪️ Creencias y política chocan en Brasil: crece la polémica por la promesa religiosa de Bolsonaro
✝️ Miles de fieles conmemoraron el aniversario de Nuestra Señora Aparecida, patrona del país sudamericano, en medio de la controversia por la promesa de campaña del candidato a la… pic.twitter.com/5AgyIQGEzv
The text reads, “Beliefs and politics collide in Brazil: controversy grows over a religious pledge made by Bolsonaro. Thousands of the faithful commemorated the anniversary of Our Lady of Aparecida—the patron saint of the South American nation—amidst controversy surrounding a campaign promise by presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro to declare that the nation belongs to Jesus Christ.
Catholics and representatives of Afro-Brazilian religions have warned of potential risks of exclusion and discrimination. Although the campaign asserted that this is merely a symbolic expression of faith, the debate has reignited questions regarding religious freedom and respect for the diversity of beliefs within Brazil.”
Violence
The bishops criticize Bolsonaro’s promise to expand access to firearms, “as his father did during his administration.” The issue had already been criticized in the homily delivered by the archbishop of Aparecida, who preached a message of “unarmed peace” during Mass on the Feast of Our Lady.
Environment
The bishops accuse Flavio Bolsonaro of denying the climate crisis and seeking to continue the “devastating policies” of his father, Jair Bolsonaro. They cite the environmental licensing law approved in 2025, known as the “Devastation Law.”
Human Rights and Democracy
The bishops recalled that the far-right candidate “publicly expresses support for torture” and that his family honored Col. Carlos Alberto Brilhante Ustra, a torturer during the military dictatorship.
Flavio Bolsonaro “made several statements that threaten the constitutional order” and, if elected, would govern with a majority in Congress and the Supreme Federal Court (STF), “creating the conditions for a usurpation of power,” the bishops warned.
The Brazilian Situation
Without mentioning Lula, the letter states that the Workers’ Party candidate, “although he has also been the subject of criticism, has always demonstrated responsibility toward the poor and our Common Home, and has acted within the limits of the democratic order, respecting the Constitution.”
“Whether one likes the current government or not cannot be a reason to hand the country over to someone who demonstrates such a contradiction with the teachings of our church,” the bishops say. They also urge Catholics not to abstain from voting.
Among the signatories are Bishop Jose Ionilton Lisboa de Oliveira, president of the Pastoral Land Commission, and the archbishops of Porto Velho, Roque Paloschi; Feira de Santana, Zanoni Demettino Castro; and Uberaba, Paulo Mendes Peixoto. The list includes bishops from Brazil’s Amazon, Northeast, Southeast, Central-West, and South regions.
The letter adds to the existing rivalry between Flavio Bolsonaro and the Catholic Church during the 2026 presidential campaign. In September, the Brazilian Commission for Justice and Peace delivered a report to the bishops detailing 58 attacks by the far right against Catholics and their church since 2018.
Brazilian president mobilizes supporters online ahead of Sunday’s runoff, as a new poll shows the two candidates tied at 50%.
On Thursday, Brazilian President and reelection candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called on the country’s young and elderly people to “defeat” opposition Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro to build a society that “distributes books and culture, not weapons and hate.”
“Our army is much bigger, full of enthusiasm and heart, where nobody wants to kill anybody,” said the Workers’ Party (PT) candidate during his first digital event of this kind.
Lula spent an hour and a half participating in a livestream on social media alongside lawmaker Andre Janones, who created a public WhatsApp channel in support of the progressive leader called “Lula’s Army.” The channel has already attracted 8.5 million users ahead of Sunday’s presidential runoff.
Shortly before the digital event, polling firm Datafolha released a survey showing both candidates tied at 50% of the valid vote, three days before voters head to the polls.
🚨 PESSOAL, URGENTE!!!
Preparados pra ver a história acontecendo AO VIVO diante dos olhos?!
Vamos encerrar a campanha mais importante da história do Brasil!
Um ato que ficará para sempre marcado na memória das lutas do povo brasileiro! 🇧🇷
The text reads, “Folks, urgent!!! Are you ready to watch history unfold live before your very eyes?! We are bringing the most important campaign in the history of Brazil to a close! It will be an event that remains forever etched in the memory of the Brazilian people’s struggles! Join us this Saturday, the 24th, at 2:00 pm, on Avenida Paulista, in Sao Paulo!”
In the first round of the election, the eldest son of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro won 47% of the vote, two percentage points more than Lula, who appears to have drawn even in the final days of the campaign.
Part of the Brazilian president’s strategy has involved mobilizing his supporters in the streets and on social media, with an emphasis on young people and those over 70. The latter are exempt from voting in a country where voting is mandatory.
Introduced as “Marshal Lula,” the Workers’ Party leader acknowledged feeling “like a fish out of water” during his first livestream, where he listened to accounts from young and elderly people.
“I have to talk with my army; we have a great battle ahead of us,” Lula said, adding that his candidacy represents “democracy,” “the fight against femicide” and a “life focused on health, culture” and education.
Estas eleições serão um divisor de águas para o Brasil. É hora de transformar essa esperança e mobilização das ruas em mais participação e compromissos.
Seguiremos firmes na luta por um país mais justo, com oportunidades para todos e políticas voltadas às necessidades da… pic.twitter.com/TzOkr47RH8
Lula da SIlva’s text reads, “These elections will be a watershed moment for Brazil. It is time to transform this hope and the mobilization seen in the streets into greater participation and concrete commitments. We will remain steadfast in the fight for a fairer country—one with opportunities for all and policies geared toward the needs of the population. Our ‘army’ consists of more than just soldiers; it is driven by reason, motivation, and a cause. And our cause is the best in the world, because it is the Brazilian people. Let us work together to secure another victory!”
“Our army fights to build a harmonious, loving society that builds rather than destroys, that distributes books and culture, not weapons and hate,” said the Workers’ Party leader, who also referred to Sunday’s runoff election as a “war.”
“Brazil cannot fall into the hands of a militiaman,” Lula said, alluding to the Bolsonaro family’s ties to relatives of members of paramilitary groups in Rio de Janeiro.
Lula also recalled that Flavio Bolsonaro had served as the lawyer for a police officer accused of killing a 5-year-old girl during an operation against suspected drug traffickers.
The Workers’ Party also urged those who abstained from voting — who accounted for 21% of voters in the first round, or about 33.5 million Brazilians — to vote for Lula on Sunday.
“You who did not go to vote because you didn’t like the candidates or because you are over 70, that is your right; but not now. Now you have to think about Brazil, about your homeland,” he said.
They warn of disproportionate restrictions on campaign accounts and urge Meta to ensure fair treatment of candidates.
On Wednesday, United Nations human rights experts expressed concern about restrictions on political freedom of expression occurring in Brazil as a result of the way the technology company Meta is handling its social media platforms during Brazil’s presidential elections.
“Reports of restrictions on legitimate political expression on Meta platforms during Brazil’s elections raise concerns for freedom of expression, association, political participation and equal treatment of political viewpoints, UN experts said.
“Online platforms are key actors in democratic debate. Preventing people from speaking or reaching audiences without explanation affects who is heard,” they added.
This assessment is based on findings by international election observers who have reported incidents of political discrimination through electronic media.
🇧🇷 | META ATACA DE NUEVO A LULA
Empleados de Meta admitieron afecciones voluntarias a las cuentas de Lula, mientras favorecían la visibilidad de Flavio Bolsonaro.
The text reads, “META TARGETS LULA AGAIN. Meta employees admitted to intentionally interfering with Lula’s accounts, while boosting the visibility of Flavio Bolsonaro.”
Among those incidents, they highlighted the temporary interruptions of the campaign account of President Lula da Silva, the candidate of the Workers’ Party who is competing against U.S.-backed far-right Senator Flavio Bolsonaro in the runoff scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 25.
Observers have also recorded differences in audience engagement, user feeds, view counts and reach; restrictions on that campaign’s Instagram posts; and differences between the main political parties in AI image generation, WhatsApp channel search results, candidates’ stories and the distribution of political content potentially benefiting Bolsonaro’s campaign.
“Monitoring reports show thousands of accounts and posts have faced suspensions, reduced visibility and sharing limits, including journalists, human rights defenders, civil society actors and content creators,” the UN experts said.
“Information, including from Meta employees, suggests that accounts linked to one side of the presidential race were disproportionately curtailed.”
3 days after Meta was ordered to stop manipulating algorithms to favor Flavio Bolsonaro in the presidential election, two orgs have submitted evidence to Brazil's Superior Electoral Court that the corporation is still violating national election laws. https://t.co/GzJIA8gSjL
Last week, due to this discriminatory treatment, the Brazilian Superior Electoral Court ordered Meta to apply the same rules to both candidates until the runoff, prohibiting unequal restrictions on campaign reach, recommendations, and search results.
“Losing reach can mean losing a voice in public debate and the ability to mobilise communities. Algorithms, AI systems and content-moderation decisions must not become invisible arbiters of political discussion. Where political expression appears disproportionately restricted, platforms must explain why, address unequal impacts and ensure effective remedies,” the UN experts warned.
“The responsibility to respect human rights requires technology companies to identify, prevent and address adverse impacts, in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, including in platform governance and content moderation,” they added.
A Meta AI chatbot tells grad student Laura Morgado why Meta is backing Bolsonaro. “Trump & the Bolsonaros are the global political shield for big tech companies against the advance of European regulation & the Latin American left." Another technical glitch?https://t.co/NyVrTkP07d
“During elections, delayed remedies may have irreversible consequences. Freedom of expression and information integrity must therefore go hand in hand. Measures against disinformation must not arbitrarily restrict legitimate political expression,” the UN experts stressed, and urged Meta to assess whether its moderation, recommendation, and AI systems disproportionately restricted one side of Brazil’s electoral debate.
“Digital platforms must not become unaccountable gatekeepers of political debate, nor should their systems be susceptible to undue influence by political actors. Democracy and free and fair elections depend on independent and consistent platforms and an open, pluralistic environment where people can access information, scrutinise those seeking power, exchange views and organise without arbitrary interference,” the experts said.
The statement was signed by figures including Leopoldo Maldonado, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; Margaret Satterthwaite, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers; and Gina Romero, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association.
A new Quaest poll shows the far-right senator with 45% of voter support and the progressive president with 44%.
On Wednesday, polling firm Quaest revealed that Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro’s lead over President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in voting intentions for Brazil’s presidential runoff had narrowed from 2 points last week to just 1 point.
If the election were held today, the far-right candidate, who received the most votes in the first round, would receive 45% of the vote, while the progressive president would garner 44%, indicating that the two remain statistically tied because the poll has a margin of error of 2 percentage points.
In the poll conducted last week by the same firm, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022) had 46% of voter support, a decline of 1 point, while Lula, who is seeking reelection and a fourth nonconsecutive term, had 44%, unchanged from the previous survey.
The new poll, released just four days before the runoff scheduled for Oct. 25, confirmed that the presidential election ranks among Brazil’s most polarized, with the country still divided between the progressivism led by Lula and the far-right politics of the Bolsonaro clan.
Quaest: Lula amplia vantagem entre beneficiários do Bolsa Família. O candidato à reeleição aumentou de 60% para 62%. Ao mesmo tempo, Flávio Bolsonaro (PL) caiu de 31% para 27%.
The text reads, “Quaest: Lula expands his lead among Bolsa Família beneficiaries. The candidate seeking reelection rose from 60% to 62%. At the same time, Flavio Bolsonaro (PL) fell from 31% to 27%.”
According to Quaest, which interviewed 2,154 voters between Saturday and Tuesday, the percentage of undecided voters rose from 1% to 2% over the past week, while the percentage of those intending to cast blank ballots or invalidate their votes remained at 9%.
The new poll was conducted after the candidates’ first televised debate on Oct. 18 and after the Brazilian president announced new measures. In addition to the reduction of the workweek from 44 to 40 hours, with two days off and no reduction in pay, Lula announced in recent days a measure to forgive microentrepreneurs’ debts and a bill to provide free bus transportation on weekends.
Bolsonaro received the most votes in the first round of the presidential election, with 47.03%, while Lula finished second with 45.16%, leaving a gap of less than 2 percentage points between them.
The Paris Court of Appeal issued its ruling on Tuesday, July 7, 2025, in the National Rally’s parliamentary assistants case. Marine Le Pen’s period of ineligibility for public office was reduced to 45 months on appeal, clearing the way for a fourth presidential bid. However, this legal victory comes with a personal dilemma: the National Rally leader will be required to wear an electronic ankle monitor for one year, a condition she has repeatedly said she would not accept while campaigning.
Marine Le Pen candidate en 2017 (DR)
Convictions Upheld: Guilty of Misappropriating Public Funds
The Paris Court of Appeal upheld Marine Le Pen’s conviction in the case involving parliamentary assistants employed by members of the European Parliament. She was found guilty of misappropriating public funds and of aiding and abetting that offense.
The presiding judge repeatedly emphasized the seriousness of the misconduct, noting that it had continued over an eleven-year period spanning three parliamentary terms, despite repeated warnings from the European Parliament about compliance with its rules.
The figures speak for themselves: €2.8 million in misappropriated funds. The court found evidence of “an operating system designed to divert European funds for purposes other than those for which they were intended.” According to the ruling, this systematic scheme was established under the leadership of Jean-Marie Le Pen and later continued under Marine Le Pen herself.
As part of her sentence, Marine Le Pen received a three-year prison term, including two years suspended and one year to be served under an alternative custodial arrangement. She was also fined €100,000. During the one-year custodial portion of her sentence, she will be required to wear an electronic ankle monitor.
Reduced ineligibility changes the political landscape
This significant reduction marks a major turning point in the National Rally leader’s legal battle.
Her attorney, Rodolphe Bosselut, described the ruling as “a good start” and a “partial victory,” stressing that the reduction of the ineligibility sentence was “an extremely important point.” He also highlighted the presiding judge’s remarks emphasizing voters’ freedom to choose from the full range of candidates.
Electronic monitoring : A major campaign obstacle
During an exclusive interview with BFMTV in February, Marine Le Pen stated unequivocally: “You cannot run a campaign under those conditions.”
She was referring to the mandatory electronic ankle monitor that accompanies a custodial sentence served outside prison. That statement clearly foreshadowed the dilemma she now faces.
The legal situation has become paradoxical. Marine Le Pen is now legally eligible to run for president. However, wearing an electronic ankle monitor for an entire year could severely limit her ability to conduct a normal presidential campaign.
Such a campaign requires constant travel, rallies, media interviews, and visits across the country—activities that could prove difficult to reconcile with electronic monitoring, particularly in the eyes of the public.
Other convictions in the parliamentary assistants case
Marine Le Pen was not the only person convicted.
Fernand Le Rachinel, the first defendant to appear before the court, received a reduced sentence on appeal: two years of suspended imprisonment instead of three, a €15,000 fine, and one year of ineligibility instead of the three years imposed at trial.
Former National Rally Member of the European Parliament Bruno Gollnisch, who was absent from the hearing, was sentenced to three years in prison and one year of ineligibility, a lighter sanction than the three-year ineligibility period imposed by the lower court.
French lawmaker Julien Odoul was also among the defendants whose case was heard on appeal.
Political reactions
Opposition politicians argued that the core issue remained unchanged regardless of who ultimately represented the National Rally in the presidential election.
Boris Vallaud, leader of the Socialist group in the National Assembly, emphasized that respect for the rule of law and the justice system remained the overriding priority.
Green Party lawmaker Benjamin Lucas-Lundy argued that “whether it’s Marine Le Pen or Jordan Bardella, it changes nothing” regarding the National Rally’s political platform. He reiterated that the party “stole from European taxpayers” and “stole from the French people,” allegations that, he noted, had now been upheld twice by the courts.
Socialist lawmaker Philippe Brun described Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella as “interchangeable candidates,” suggesting that choosing between them would make little political difference for voters.
What comes next
Marine Le Pen left the courthouse without speaking to reporters and headed directly to National Rally headquarters, where senior party officials had convened a crisis meeting.
Her silence contrasted with her attorneys’ public statements and suggested that the party leadership intended to carefully evaluate the full implications of the historic ruling.
The stakes extend well beyond the legal issues.
Marine Le Pen must now choose between pursuing a fourth presidential campaign and remaining consistent with her long-held position that a presidential campaign cannot realistically be conducted while wearing an electronic ankle monitor.
Jordan Bardella, the party’s vice president, remains the fallback candidate should she decide not to run.
Patrick Maisonneuve, attorney for the European Parliament, underscored the significance of the appellate ruling, stating that the court had confirmed that “European taxpayers’ and French citizens’ money” had been diverted through “an organization that operated for years” under the leadership of the National Front.
Impact on the national rally’s electoral strategy
Regardless of Marine Le Pen’s decision, the National Rally has a credible alternative in Jordan Bardella.
Nevertheless, the possibility that Marine Le Pen could legally run reshapes the party’s internal dynamics and the balance of power within its leadership.
National Rally lawmaker Thomas Ménagé, who represents the Loiret department, said that “nothing changes” for the party’s members of Parliament, who would continue their legislative work regardless of who ultimately becomes the party’s presidential nominee.
The Court of Appeal’s Trap
The Court of Appeal’s ruling places Marine Le Pen in a genuine Catch-22.
Legally, she achieved a significant victory through the substantial reduction of her ineligibility sentence.
Politically and practically, however, the electronic ankle monitor remains a serious obstacle to conducting a conventional presidential campaign.
Her silence upon leaving the courthouse suggests she is taking time to consult with close advisers, party officials, and campaign strategists before deciding on the best course of action for both the National Rally and her own political future.
By allowing Marine Le Pen to remain eligible to run for president while simultaneously requiring her to wear an electronic ankle monitor, the court has placed both the National Rally and its leader in an exceptionally difficult strategic position.
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