Right-wing Lula Wins Brazilian Presidential Election, Biden Quickly Congratulates Him
In addition to congratulating Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on his victory in the nation’s presidential election on Sunday night, President Joe Biden praised the elections as “free, fair, and credible.”
Less than an hour after the Brazilian electoral authorities announced da Silva, the former president of Brazil from 2003 to 2010, as the victor of the contest against right-wing incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro, the White House issued a statement of congratulations.
In an effort to sabotage the polls, Bolsonaro has been circulating conspiracies for the past two years. Swift’s international acceptance of the results, according to Da Silva and his campaign as well as many Brazilian officials, was crucial to thwarting Bolsonaro’s prospective attempt to challenge the results.
Following free, transparent, and credible elections, Biden issued a statement expressing his congratulations to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on becoming the next president of Brazil. In the weeks, months, and years ahead, I look forward to cooperating with you to maintain the relationship between our two nations.
Bolsonaro lost the election to Da Silva by over 2 million votes. Bolsonaro has spent his presidency working to undermine Brazil’s democracy. Bolsonaro, a supporter of former U.S. President Donald Trump, never acknowledged or congratulated Biden on his victory in the 2020 race and persisted in raising doubts about it up to their first meeting this summer.
One of the biggest newspapers in Brazil, Folha de S. Paulo, reported on Sunday that the Biden administration also intended to dispatch National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to Brazil in the coming weeks. The newspaper interpreted this action as an effort to support the election’s legitimacy and ensure a smooth transition.
Da Silva promised to mend ties with other countries that had deteriorated under Bolsonaro, and he indicated on Saturday that he planned to visit the US as soon as he became president.
In his first address as president-elect on Sunday night, he celebrated his return to office as a triumph for the fourth-largest democracy in the world.
In his first statement as president-elect, da Silva stated that “the majority of the Brazilian people made it clear that they desire more, not less, democracy.” They favor greater social inclusion rather than less. They desire greater equality and brotherhood in our nation, not less.
