Haiti has postponed its presidential and legislative elections once again, pushing the first round from December 13 to July 18, 2027, as armed gangs and a decade-long institutional vacuum leave the country with no elected official since 2016.

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The move had been expected since the start of the month, when the council extended the deadline for candidate registration to October 31 without setting a new voting date.

The first round of the presidential and legislative elections, together with the constitutional referendum, now falls on July 18, 2027. A second round -including presidential and legislative runoffs and local elections- is scheduled for October 4 of that same year. The campaign, originally due to begin on October 5, will open on April 15, 2027, roughly three months before polling day.

RELATED: UN Security Council Reaffirms Mandate in Haiti Despite Attacks

Under the updated schedule, candidate registration will remain open through February 9, 2027, while voter registration is extended to May 20. The council’s online platform shows that nearly 890,000 voters are registered on the electoral roll, far short of the 7.7 million people of voting age.

Despite repeated calendar revisions, candidates have continued to register for the elections. According to the Provisional Electoral Council ’s latest updates, over 7,300 candidates have registered for different elected positions. The provisional list includes 19 candidates for President, 369 for the Senate, 1,293 for the Chamber of Deputies and 5,623 for local elections.

Haïti a de nouvelles dates pour les élections présidentielle, législatives et municipales à venir :
18 juillet 2027 pour le premier tour – 4 octobre 2027 pour le deuxième tour, selon une communiqué du Conseil électoral provisoire. pic.twitter.com/A4raK78ifp

— Frantz Duval (@Frantzduval) October 29, 2026

Text reads: “Haiti has new dates for the upcoming presidential, legislative and municipal elections: July 18, 2027 for the first round – October 4, 2027 for the second round, according to a communiqué of the Provisional Electoral Council.”

The Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) framed the decision as an effort to keep the process moving. “The updated calendar aims to facilitate the continuation of electoral operations under conditions that allow the stakeholders concerned to fulfill their obligations in accordance with the provisions of the legal framework,” the council explained in a statement accompanying the new plan.

The body also pledged to move forward “with dialogue, professionalism and rigor,” targeting elections that are inclusive, credible and transparent. It promised to respect “the right of each citizen to participate in the democratic life of the country.”

That language contrasts sharply with conditions on the ground. Haiti has not held an election since 2016, when Jovenel Moïse won the presidency. He took office in February 2017 and was assassinated on July 7, 2021, at his residence in Port-au-Prince.

Since that killing, no elected official has occupied any post in the country’s state structure. Successive transitional governments have cycled through without managing to organize a vote. Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, the current leader, has governed on an interim basis since November 10, 2024.

The elections were first set for August 30 of this year. The political and security crisis, driven by armed gang violence and the failure to restore institutional stability, forced a postponement to December 13. That date has now been abandoned for July 18, 2027.

Gangs Hold the Capital

Armed gangs control most of Port-au-Prince. The main force arrayed against them is the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), created in September 2025 under a UN Security Council mandate and renewed for six additional months when it reached its first anniversary.

The latest delay unfolds as hundreds of Salvadoran soldiers search the Haitian capital for four kidnapped colleagues. Those troops belonged to the GSF and vanished on October 18, when armed gangs ambushed them on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince.

The #GSF confirms that it has received, through a third-party humanitarian organization, remains suspected of being those of the four personnel from the Salvadoran contingent currently missing.
At this stage, the GSF is not in a position to confirm that the remains are those of… pic.twitter.com/JvfLg1DfCG

— Gang Suppression Force – Haiti (@GSForceHaiti) October 25, 2026

PM Fils-Aimé presides over a country under siege. He holds no elected mandate himself, and the security conditions that have justified every postponement show no sign of easing.

For Haitians, the wait has now stretched past a decade without a chance to cast a ballot. Each interim administration has promised elections and delivered another delay. The violence cited as the obstacle has, in turn, deepened with every year of institutional drift.

Whether July 2027 becomes a genuine election day depends on factors no schedule can secure: safe streets, working electoral machinery and a minimum of political consensus. As things stand, the only firm date in Haiti is a next postponement.

Saint-Denis Mayor Bally Bagayoko said National Rally politicians should be banned from speaking in public over supposed racist rhetoric.

The post Far-Left Mayor Bagayoko Calls for Censorship of Marine Le Pen’s National Rally appeared first on Breitbart.

Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court ordered an investigation Tuesday into Flávio Bolsonaro’s presidential campaign over suspected illegal foreign financing, algorithmic manipulation on digital platforms and possible deals involving strategic minerals.

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The ruling targets the campaign of the far-right senator who lost the 2026 runoff to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Justice Flávio Dino issued the decision under a constitutional action (the Fundamental Precept Non-compliance Argument 1178 (ADPF), after formal requests from Lula’s campaign and from former presidential candidate Renan Santos of the Missão movement.

The Court stressed that Brazil’s Constitution and laws expressly bar parties and candidates from receiving funds from foreign entities or governments.

RELATED: Flávio Bolsonaro to Face International Detention Request and Interpol Alert

At the center of the inquiry sits Rockbridge Network, a conservative U.S. organization tied to the political origins of JD Vance, now U.S. Vice-president.

Federal Police will determine whether the group, through the alleged mediation of Brazilian businessmen Tallis Gomes and Pedro Sang, offered financial resources, services or economic advantages to the campaign of the Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the Liberal Party’s presidential candidate.

Breaking: Supreme Court Minister Dino has ordered a police investigation into foreign interference in the elections. It is already widely known that the US government and US tech companies were meddling to benefit Flávio Bolsonaro’s failed presidential bid. pic.twitter.com/xWSQXqnmfl

— BRASILWIRE (@BRASILWIRE) October 27, 2026

Rockbridge Under Scrutiny

Investigators will also examine possible underlying geopolitical and economic interests. The probe will look into whether negotiations linked political financing to the exploitation and control of strategic minerals and rare earth elements on Brazilian soil, resources that have drawn marked interest from the government of Donald Trump.

The Court framed the case as a matter of national sovereignty. Foreign interference in an election, the ruling argued, does not merely distort the vote; it compromises the state’s ability to decide its own direction. That framing elevates the investigation beyond a routine campaign finance dispute.

Ten federal agencies received the order to carry out the work, which includes the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin), the Council for Financial Activities Control (Coaf), the Federal Revenue Service and the Central Bank.

Failed far-right candidate Flávio Bolsonaro has reportedly fled Brazil to the US where he intends to seek political asylum, according to news website Metrópoles, citing people close to the Bolsonaro family. After Flávio missed a Tuesday morning deadline to surrender his… pic.twitter.com/xZQHoj1Cn9

— VPol (@VocalPolitics1) October 27, 2026

Meta Faces Investigation

The technological front carries equal weight. The Supreme Court ordered an inquiry into the role of Meta, owner of WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, after detecting what the ruling describes as “intentional asymmetries and algorithmic manipulations.”

Case documents reveal internal messages in which employees admitted restrictions on the promotion of Lula’s ads while Flávio Bolsonaro’s profile received irregular positioning. UN experts had previously warned of the risk of an artificial electoral imbalance.

Federal Police will also trace paid content favorable to the far right that was distributed through accounts based abroad without proper identification of the contractors, as well as the use of Polymarket projections to tilt public perception.

The pressure on Meta is not new. On October 15 a judge had already barred the company from interfering in the distribution of electoral content following complaints from progressive sectors. Meta denied any favoritism, attributing the imbalance to an artificial intelligence glitch that benefited the Liberal Party candidate. The current process now escalates to criminal and national security levels.

For Flávio Bolsonaro, the investigation compounds an already difficult legal position. The same Court recently ordered him to surrender his passports, and lawmakers have sought his preventive detention and an Interpol red notice over a reported flight to United States. The new probe broadens the scope from his personal conduct to the machinery that financed and amplified his campaign.

Whether Rockbridge or Meta ultimately face charges depends on the evidence Federal Police gathers. The Court’s message, however, is already clear: foreign money and foreign platforms will not operate in Brazil’s elections without scrutiny.

Honorary Chamber President Says Conviction Could Bar Far-Right Leader From Running.

On Tuesday, Didier Guerin, the president of the honorary chamber of the French Supreme Court, expressed doubts about the possibility that far-right leader Marine Le Pen could run in the 2027 presidential elections following her conviction for misappropriation of European Parliament funds.

RELATED:

Thousands March Against Far-Right Leader Le Pen in France

In an interview published by Le Monde, Guerin, who presided over the Supreme Court’s criminal chamber between 2014 and 2017, said she will not be able to run in the April-May elections if the appeal in cassation of the sentence handed down on appeal against Le Pen succeeds.

According to his thesis, if the Supreme Court annuls the appeal verdict, the ruling issued at first instance on March 31, 2025, will apply, which sentenced the far-right leader to two years of house arrest and five years of ineligibility with preventive application.

Le Pen was convicted of misappropriation of European Parliament funds, after having paid party workers and even domestic employees with European funds intended for parliamentary assistants.

Guerin considers that an appeal to the Supreme Court annuls the appeal judgment and imposes the first-instance sentence, so that de facto Le Pen is ineligible.

Le Pen launched her candidacy after the appeals court reduced the sentence to one year of house arrest and only 15 months of ineligibility, which she has already served.

Guerin affirms that the jurisprudence of the court to which he belongs supports his theory, contrary to what other jurists think, including the chief prosecutor of the Supreme Court, Remy Heitz.

The Supreme Court magistrate notes that the only possibility Le Pen has to run in the 2027 elections is, paradoxically, for the court to reject the appeals of the sentence and confirm her conviction.

If the Supreme Court’s decision is delayed beyond March 26, 2027, the deadline for validating candidacies for the first round on April 28, the far-right candidate will not be able to seek her fourth run for the Elysee, according to Guerin.

Marine #LePen is betting on public anger over rising prices, unrest, and immigration to propel her presidential bid, promising tougher borders and a sweeping return to law and order in France.https://t.co/inACuFz4DA

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 25, 2026

Le Pen Fights Back

For her part, Le Pen has filed a complaint with the French Superior Council of the Judiciary against Judge Guerin over his statements about her ineligibility, considering that they violate magistrates’ duty of discretion and contain evaluations of a political nature, according to a statement from her six lawyers.

The lawyers of the far-right leader maintain that his interpretation contradicts current law on the provisional execution of sentences and the effects of judicial appeals.

They also note that the attorney general of the Supreme Court has defended a position contrary to that expressed by Guerin.

The statement also questions that an honorary magistrate publicly comments on a judicial decision of his own and considers future political scenarios, including the possibility that her candidacy be prevented or that she be removed if elected.

For this reason, Le Pen has asked the Superior Council of the Judiciary to remind Guerin of his ethical obligations, considering that his statements exceed the legal sphere and could compromise the image of the judicial institution.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said Brazil delivered a lesson against extremism and fanaticism. The Workers’ Party founder secured 51.74% of the vote, compared with 48.26% for Flávio Bolsonaro.

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Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodríguez congratulated President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the Brazilian people following Sunday’s electoral victory.

The Workers’ Party candidate prevailed in the runoff election with 51.79% of the vote, defeating far-right candidate Flávio Bolsonaro, who received 48.21%.

RELATED: Latin American Leaders Celebrate Lula’s Fourth Term in Brazil

Rodríguez made the remarks in Caracas during the launch of the Comprehensive Women’s Medical Specialty Service at Dr. Carlos Arvelo Military Hospital. During the event, she argued that the election provided an important lesson for Latin America.

“I once again congratulate President Lula da Silva and the people of Brazil because Brazil has shown that neither extremism nor fanaticism of any kind can prevail,” she said.

The Venezuelan Acting President also emphasized what she described as the message Brazilian society had sent to the region. “It is a healthy society that has delivered a message to the world, and especially to the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean,” she stated.

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Una publicación compartida de teleSUR English (@telesurenglish)

Official figures confirmed the scale of Lula’s victory. The Brazilian President received 64,256,232 votes (51.79%), ten million more than he obtained in the first round on October 4, when he finished behind his opponent. Bolsonaro garnered 59,826,041 votes (48.21%).

The comeback was unprecedented. The Workers’ Party founder overturned his first-round deficit and secured another term at the head of Brazil’s government in a runoff election that drew intense attention across Latin America for weeks.

Following the announcement of the final results, political leaders and public figures from around the world welcomed Lula’s victory. The election was widely viewed as a contest over the future of democracy and national sovereignty in South America’s largest nation, and the outcome was celebrated by supporters as a rejection of extremist political currents.

Democracy Advances

Diosdado Cabello, secretary-general of Venezuela’s United Socialist Party (PSUV, in Spanish), also praised voter participation in Brazil. During his weekly press conference, the political leader said Brazilian citizens had demonstrated clarity and determination by using the democratic process to stop fascist political alternatives.

According to PSUV leaders, the vote reaffirmed the importance of democratic participation as a decisive tool in political processes across the region and showed that authoritarian alternatives lack support in Brazil.

His comments reflected a broader narrative promoted by the Venezuelan government, which framed Lula’s victory as a milestone for progressive political forces in the region. Officials suggested that the election could strengthen ties among left-leaning governments in Latin America and contribute to renewed efforts aimed at regional integration.

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Una publicación compartida de teleSUR English (@telesurenglish)

Cabello also reviewed domestic political developments in Venezuela. He described the results of the National Popular Consultation held on October 18 as highly positive and congratulated community organizations and grassroots movements for their participation in local development projects.

On economic and agricultural matters, the Venezuela’s United Socialist Party leader highlighted the launch of a seasonal food production plan coordinated with regional governments and the Ministry of Popular Power for Communes.

Regarding the political dialogue process, Cabello said the third phase of talks is advancing in line with commitments adopted by the participating parties. The discussions include a proposed judicial reform promoted by the government and efforts to recover state assets blocked abroad.

Caracas’ recognition of Lula’s victory joined similar messages issued by leaders from multiple continents. Lula’s victory was achieved with more than 64 million votes, representing a substantial increase compared with his first-round performance. The result reinforced his position as one of the most influential political figures in Latin America and signaled continued support for his political agenda among a majority of Brazilian voters.

For Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, Lula’s re-election sends a clear message to the people of Latin America and the Caribbean, who, she argued, can draw an important lesson against fanaticism and political extremism from Brazil’s electoral outcome.

Brazil’s Liberal Party (PL), the political force that fielded far-right Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, formally recognized the reelection of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Monday.

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Brazil’s political landscape entered a new phase on Monday as the Liberal Party (PL) formally recognized the results of the presidential election held last Sunday in the South American country.

The party which led Flávio Bolsonaro as a candidate in the balotaje that he lost against Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, took off from its leader and recognized the opposition victory that secured the re-election of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

RELATED: Flávio Bolsonaro Rejects Lula’s Victory, Seeks Annulment

The concession arrived in a letter published on the party’s social media accounts, signed by the party’s president Valdemar Costa Neto, who accepted the result proclaimed by the Superior Electoral Court while asking that “the questions raised” be “duly clarified.“

“Flávio Bolsonaro won the first round of the presidential elections,” the note read, but this Sunday “the result was different, in a scenario marked by strongly electoralist measures, with economic and social impact.”

The party maintained that an expansion of public spending and social benefits carried out by Lula’s government before the vote altered the fairness of the contest. It announced that it will demand explanations within the institutional framework, keeping its objections alive even as it accepted the official tally.

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Una publicación compartida de Valdemar Costa Neto (@valdemarcostaoficial)

The Liberal Party closed its statement by underscoring what it called a “historic” legislative advance. The conservative bloc secured 121 seats in the lower house, 29 senators and six governors, a result it framed as the base of its political strength going forward.

The decision carries particular weight because the Liberal Party has long been one of the principal political forces aligned with Brazil’s conservative and far right-wing electorate. The party served as a key platform for the Bolsonaro political movement and has frequently acted as one of the most influential opposition voices during Lula’s administration.

Lula secured the victory in Sunday’s runoff with 51,79% of the vote against 48,21% for the far-right candidate, a gap of more than four million ballots. The win amounted to an unprecedented comeback, since the October 4 first round had ended with the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro ahead by two percentage points.

Bolsonaro Refuses Defeat

Flávio Bolsonaro nonetheless declined to concede, instead he affirmed that he will “organize the opposition” to turn the lower house and the Senate into his “fortress against the barbarity” he anticipates “with four more years of Lula.”

He also pledged to press the courts to annul Lula’s candidacy over what he described as “all the abuses” committed during the campaign. Among them he cited the “industrial complex of fake news” assembled by the pro-government side and “abuses of political and economic power without precedent.”The party’s recognition therefore stands in tension with the posture of its own candidate. The institution accepted the official count while its standard-bearer promised to fight it, leaving Brazil’s opposition divided between concession and contestation as Lula prepares to begin another term in office. For the government, the letter clears the way for the new mandate to unfold without a wholesale challenge to its legitimacy.

Flávio Bolsonaro diz que foi intimado pela PF a entregar passaporte e que está proibido de deixar o país

Senador, derrotado no domingo para Lula, voltou a afirmar que pedirá a cassação da chapa vitoriosa

📲 Leia mais na #Folha: https://t.co/MqLgzj5Pmw pic.twitter.com/vgN7UYj64T

— Folha de S.Paulo (@folha) October 26, 2026

Bolsonaro’s Loss of Immunity

Flávio Bolsonaro will be left without public office for the first time in more than two decades, following Lula’s reelection. His Senate term ends January 31, 2027, and he did not stand for another mandate after serving three consecutive terms as a state deputy in the Rio de Janeiro Legislative Assembly between 2003 and January 2019.

Bolsonaro then entered the Senate after the 2018 contest that carried his father to the presidency. By prioritizing his presidential bid, the legislator skipped the renewal of the upper house.

Actually, the senator is under investigation by the Supreme Federal Court for alleged money laundering, tax evasion and corruption. His defeat is expected to push the inquiry toward possible crimes connected to a 134 million reais deal with Daniel Vorcaro, of Master Bank, to finance the film “Dark Horse,” a tribute to his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is sentenced to 27 years in prison after a coup attempt in 2022.

If Flávio won the presidency, the case might have been shelved. The Federal Constitution establishes that the head of the executive power “cannot be held responsible for acts unrelated to the exercise of his functions.”

Without parliamentary immunity, prosecutors gain room to pursue those lines of inquiry. The Senator’s relationship with lawyer Willer Tomaz de Souza also draws scrutiny, as the Federal Police investigate whether Tomaz used betting operations to launder money. The end of Flávio’s mandate therefore carries consequences far beyond the ballot box. His departure from the Senate strips him of the shield that once kept judicial proceedings at bay and leaves the investigations against him exposed to movement.

For the Liberal Party, the cycle closes with a mixed record. The conservative bloc celebrated a “historic” legislative advance in the same election that ended its presidential hopes, securing a strong bench in Congress while its standard-bearer prepared to leave the chamber he had occupied for nearly a decade.

Flávio Bolsonaro now faces a future outside elected office for the first time since 2003. The man who built his career in his father’s shadow in Rio de Janeiro will hand over his Senate seat to party colleagues, while the courts take up the allegations that shadowed his rise through Brazilian politics.

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.

RELATED:

U.S. Arrest Warrant Against Raul Castro is Politically Motivated: Sheinbaum

“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.

Essa vitória não é um ponto de chegada, mas a… pic.twitter.com/Sf801bc4PR

— Lula (@LulaOficial) October 26, 2026

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.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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.

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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.

RELATED: Lula Celebrates Reelection, Promises Education Reform and Sovereign AI

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

— Mundo en Conflicto 🌎 (@MundoEConflicto) October 26, 2026

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.

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

— News On Demand (@OnDemand_News) October 26, 2026

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.

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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.

RELATED: Latin American Leaders Celebrate Lula’s Fourth Term in Brazil

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.

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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 (@LulaOficial) October 26, 2026

Regulating Platforms, Building AI

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.

Obrigado, povo brasileiro!

📸 @ricardostuckert pic.twitter.com/OHkV0hThoQ

— Lula (@LulaOficial) October 26, 2026

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.

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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.

RELATED: Lula Wins Brazil Elections: Decisive Victory Confirmed With Over 99% of Votes Counted

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.

— Cristina Kirchner (@CFKArgentina) October 26, 2026

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.

1/2 pic.twitter.com/5U9azS8Mvc

— Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (@DiazCanelB) October 26, 2026

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.

— Yamandú Orsi (@OrsiYamandu) October 26, 2026

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.

— Santiago Peña (@SantiPenap) October 26, 2026

“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. 🇧🇴🤝🇧🇷

— Rodrigo Paz Pereira (@Rodrigo_PazP) October 26, 2026

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

— Evo Morales Ayma (@evoespueblo) October 26, 2026

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

— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) October 26, 2026

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!

— Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) October 26, 2026

Numbers and Background

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.

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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.

RELATED: Brazilian Expats in Asia and Oceania Back Lula in Majority of Nations

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.

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Historic Outcome

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.

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Regional Impact

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.

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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.

Obrigado, povo brasileiro!

📸 @ricardostuckert pic.twitter.com/OHkV0hThoQ

— Lula (@LulaOficial) October 26, 2026

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.

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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.

RELATED: Brazilian Expats in Asia and Oceania Back Lula in Majority of Nations

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

RELATED: Brazil Court Extends Runoff Voting Deadline by 2 Hours Nationwide

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.

O TSE…

— TSE (@TSEjusbr) October 25, 2026

Count After 7 P.M.

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.

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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.

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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.

RELATED: Brazilian Expats in Asia and Oceania Back Lula in Majority of Nations

“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

— TSE (@TSEjusbr) October 25, 2026

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.

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Calm Vote, Low Irregularities

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.

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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.

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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

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) October 25, 2026

Flavio Bolsonaro

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.

teleSUR/ JF

Sources: Cronica Digital – teleSUR

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.

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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.

Lula da… https://t.co/2hyNG2yfjW

— Zwelinzima Vavi (@Zwelinzima1) October 25, 2026

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.”

teleSUR/ JF

Source: Brasil de Fato – EFE – teleSUR

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.

RELATED:

Brazilian President Lula da Silva Votes in Sao Paulo

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.

A onda da esquerda no Brasil vai revelar uma nova geração de lideranças.#LulaPelaDemocracia pic.twitter.com/46d3NX6yG9

— Lázaro Rosa 🇧🇷 (@lazarorosa25) October 25, 2026

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.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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.

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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.

🇧🇬 Bulgaria’s presidential election, 2:30 PM update:

Iliana Yotova leads with 35.2%, followed by Andrey Gyurov at 31.8%. The gap has narrowed to just 3.4 points.

Reported turnout: 13.6%.

Source: Dnevnik YouTube. pic.twitter.com/2WnGnOuaCP

— JazzBG 🇧🇬🇪🇺🇺🇦 (@JazzBulgaria) October 25, 2026

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

— World Data Analysis (@World_Data_A) October 25, 2026

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.

teleSUR/ JF

Sources: Xinhua – EFE

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.

RELATED:

Brazilian Elections Update: Bolsonaro Votes in Rio de Janeiro

“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

— RT Brasil (@rtnoticias_br) October 25, 2026

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%.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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.

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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.

Leia mais: https://t.co/8dP60G3yp5 pic.twitter.com/WUFcGqG2RZ

— Congresso em Foco (@congressoemfoco) October 25, 2026

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.

teleSUR/ JF

Sources: Carta Capital