India's friend, Trump's critic: President Lula da Silva wins fourth term in Brazil

Why did Flávio Bolsonaro seek to annul Brazil's election result?

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a vocal critic of US President Donald Trump, won a historic fourth term on Sunday after defeating his main rival, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro.

Lula secured 51.75 per cent of the vote, with more than 98.76 per cent of ballots counted, Brazil's electoral court confirmed. Bolsonaro secured 48.25 per cent of the vote.

His victory comes amid concerns over growing US influence in Latin America, offering relief to those who oppose Washington's expanding role in the region.

About Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

According to publicly available information, the 80-year-old first ran for president in 1989 but had to wait until 2002 to taste victory, followed by another win in 2006. The veteran politician was re-elected in 2022 for his third term.

The octogenarian has been a key figure in Brazilian politics and was named the Workers' Party (PT) candidate for the 2026 elections.

Lula was jailed in 2018 following corruption convictions that were later annulled, while his son now faces separate graft allegations. Flávio's father, Jair Bolsonaro, is under house arrest for plotting to overturn the 2022 presidential election, which Lula da Silva won. Flávio himself has faced questions over his efforts to secure financing for a film about his father from a banker at the centre of a major fraud scandal, according to The Wall Street Journal.

His fourth victory makes him the world's longest-serving democratically elected leader.

A fierce Trump critic

Lula is not only Brazil's last left-wing hope but also a fierce critic of Trump, having criticised him and his policies on various occasions.

The Lula administration has found itself at odds with Washington over tariffs, trade and Brazil's active participation in the BRICS bloc. In July last year, Lula reacted to Trump's remark that "BRICS is anti-American" by saying that the world "doesn't need an emperor", after the US President threatened new tariffs on member nations.

"This is a set of countries that wants to find another way of organising the world from the economic perspective," Lula said of the bloc, adding, "I think that's why the BRICS are making people uncomfortable."

Lula has also called for reduced dependence on the dollar, saying that global trade should not depend solely on the US currency.

"The world needs to find a way that our trade relations don't have to pass through the dollar. Obviously, we have to be responsible about doing that carefully. Our central banks have to discuss it with central banks from other countries," he had said.

More recently, Brazil denied visas to two US officials who sought to travel to the country, saying they planned to cast doubt on the integrity of Brazilian elections, adding to tensions between the two countries.

A friend to India

Despite the dynamics of India-US relations, Brazil has remained a friend to India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Lula on his historic fourth term. In a post on X, he said, "Heartiest congratulations to my dear friend, President Lula, on his remarkable re-election victory. I look forward to working closely with him to further deepen and expand the multifaceted India-Brazil Strategic Partnership."

"Together, we will continue to strengthen our cooperation across diverse sectors, advance the shared priorities of the Global South and work towards a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable world," PM Modi added.

In February this year, India and Brazil agreed to double bilateral trade to $30 billion by 2030 and signed agreements on cooperation in critical minerals and the steel supply chain. Talks between the two leaders focused on strengthening multilateralism in an era of turbulence and uncertainty.

Lula also believes that Brazil and India are partners in building multilateral governance that is more just, peaceful and governed by international law. "We are not just the two biggest democracies of the Global South. This is a meeting of a digital superpower with a renewable energy superpower. We are both mega-diverse countries and we both defend multilateralism and peace," he said.