Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva claimed a nail-biting victory in Brazil’s presidential election on Sunday, defeating incumbent rightwing leader Jair Bolsonaro by less than two percentage points and setting the stage for a return to leftwing governance in Latin America’s largest nation.
The tight result tops off a dramatic comeback for the 77 year-old opposition leader, who served two terms as president between 2003 and 2010 but subsequently was accused of corruption and served time in prison for graft before his convictions were annulled.
Lula’s supporters shouted his name from apartment windows, honked horns and let off fireworks as the count drew to an end. His election is the latest in a string of races that have turfed out incumbent governments across Latin America, returning mainly leftwing leaders.