Brazil’s Lula Wins Presidential Fourth Term, Last-Minute Voting Extension Fuels Bolsonaro Annulment Push
BRASÍLIA — President Lula wins unprecendented fourth term in Brazil’s October 25 runoff with 51.78% of valid votes to Flávio Bolsonaro’s 48.22%, a lead of nearly 4.4 million votes, and is the first candidate since Brazil’s return to democracy to win after finishing second in the first round.
Justice Cristiano Zanin, Lula’s former defense lawyer, extended voting to 7 p.m., leading to a massive influx of new votes for Lula. Polling stations that closed at the scheduled time were suddenly ordered to reopen.
Candidate Bolsonaro now says he will not recognize the result and will seek annulment. The article also lays out how electoral lawyers are divided over whether the dispute could threaten the outcome, with most not expecting an annulment.
The Supreme Court’s press office told Gazeta do Povo it had no information on the decision, and the reason for the order has not been officially confirmed.
Machado Arrives in Caracas to Huge Crowds. What Does it Mean For Democracy in Venezuela?
CARACAS, VENEZUELA — María Corina Machado reaches Caracas on Sunday night after a roughly 12-hour drive from Lara state, greeted by thousands of supporters along the route, and her spokesperson said Monday she is willing to meet interim President Delcy Rodríguez.
The article explains that her return puts the Nobel laureate back in Venezuela as Washington brokers a transition she is not part of, with U.S. officials crediting its talks for her safe return, no election date set, and analysts expecting her and Rodríguez to avoid open confrontation at first because both need U.S. support.
It also covers the risks she faces, including her earlier failed return attempts and the government’s view of her as a fugitive, and what to watch next, such as a possible meeting with Rodríguez and a public address.
Delcy Rodríguez Says Machado Return a “Show,” Denies Political Persecution
CARACAS — Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez said on Monday that opposition leader María Corina Machado “could have avoided” staging a “show” on her return to Caracas, in her first public response more than a day after Machado arrived.
Rodríguez denied there is political persecution in Venezuela and said the U.S.-backed talks should stay “away from neophyte spaces,” but she did not say whether Machado will be allowed to join them.
The article notes that Machado’s spokesperson says she is willing to sit down with Rodríguez, that no election date is set, and that Machado’s party wants a vote in 2027 with her eligible to run.
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