World leaders congratulate Lula on Brazil re-election as Bolsonaro seeks annulment
Leaders across Latin America and beyond welcomed Lula’s victory, while his defeated opponent called for the result to be annulled.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s re-election as Brazil’s president drew congratulations from leaders across Latin America and Europe on Sunday and Monday, even as defeated challenger Flávio Bolsonaro said he would seek to annul the runoff result. The reactions gave Lula an early diplomatic welcome while Bolsonaro refused to accept the outcome.
Lula won 51.79% of the vote to Bolsonaro’s 48.21%, according to figures from Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court reported by The Guardian. The two candidates were separated by about 4.4 million votes. Bolsonaro, the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, called for the election to be annulled, The Guardian reported.
Latin American leaders welcome Lula’s victory
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum congratulated Lula on Sunday, writing: ‘Long live democracy, the people of Brazil won.’ Uruguay’s President Yamandú Orsi said he had spoken with Lula and congratulated him both on his victory and on the electoral process, according to the Buenos Aires Times’ AFP report.
Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel called Lula his ‘brother’ and said Brazil could count on Cuba in efforts to build regional unity. Guatemala’s President Bernardo Arévalo said the two countries shared a conviction that governing meant working for the common good. Argentina’s former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, an ally whom Lula visited in Buenos Aires in 2025, praised his ability to rally voters for the contest, the Buenos Aires Times reported.
European and other reactions to the Brazil result
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described Lula’s victory as a win for ‘democracy and multilateralism.’ French President Emmanuel Macron said France and Brazil had ‘much to build together,’ while Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the result the beginning of a ‘progressive comeback,’ according to the two reports.
The Guardian also reported congratulations from Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said he looked forward to expanding cooperation. The Kremlin welcomed Lula’s re-election and praised his contribution to relations with Russia. Their responses showed the range of governments acknowledging the result, despite Bolsonaro’s stated challenge.
US Senator Bernie Sanders welcomed the result and praised Lula’s record on Brazilian workers and democracy, according to the Buenos Aires Times. US President Donald Trump had not publicly reacted at the time of The Guardian’s account. That reported absence describes the response at that point, rather than a settled US position on the election.
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Sources and context
- 'Historic victory': World leaders celebrate Lula's re-electionBuenos Aires Times (TIMES/AFP)
- Brazil runoff as it happened: world leaders congratulate Lula on historic election win as Bolsonaro refuses to concedeThe Guardian
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.