Key facts
- Lula da Silva defeated Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil's presidential election runoff.
- Lula secured 51.79% of the vote, while Bolsonaro received 48.21%.
- This is the first time a candidate who lost the first round has won the presidency since 1988.
- Bolsonaro called the result inexplicable and sought its annulment.
- André Janones's "Lula's Army" WhatsApp channel was a key online mobilization tool.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has defeated Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil's presidential election runoff, securing 51.79% of the vote. The result marks the first time since Brazil's return to democracy in 1988 that a candidate who lost the first round has gone on to win the presidency. Bolsonaro, who called the result inexplicable and sought its annulment, is serving a 27-year prison sentence in connection with a coup attempt after his 2022 re-election loss. Lula thanked congressman André Janones for his role in the campaign's online mobilization, particularly through the "Lula's Army" WhatsApp channel which amassed over ten million followers.