Lula da Silva has won a fourth presidential election in Brazil after finishing behind in the first round. Since Brazil introduced its two-round presidential voting system in 1989, no candidate who trailed in the first round had won the second. Lula, who turns 81 on 27 October, has promised his best term as president.
Born to farming parents who could not read or write, Lula worked as a street seller and shoe cleaner before becoming a metalworker. He later became a trade union leader, representing workers and organising strikes. These strikes helped lead to the creation of the Workers’ Party in 1980.
After losing three presidential elections, Lula won in 2002 and served two terms. However, his career suffered a major setback when he went to prison in 2018. He was released in 2019, and Brazil’s Supreme Court cancelled his convictions in 2021. That decision allowed him to stand for president again, and he won the 2022 election.
His latest victory brings him back to office in a deeply divided country. Centre-right politicians dominate Congress, while the political movement associated with Jair Bolsonaro still has strong support among voters. This is a different political setting from the one Lula faced during his early years as president.
