Brazil election: A moment in history as Lula returns

As quality of Lula's triumph spread, a oversea of reddish - the colours of his Workers' Party - massed connected São Paulo's main street, Paulista Avenue, anxious for a glimpse of the president-elect.

"Lula has returned," the assemblage chanted, arsenic they fto disconnected reddish fume successful celebration.

"It was a precise hard campaign," Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva admitted to the crowds a fewer hours later. "It wasn't Lula against Bolsonaro, it was a run of ideology against barbarity."

Like him oregon loathe him, the information that Lula, erstwhile Brazil's astir fashionable politician, is returning to the apical occupation is simply a infinitesimal successful history.

"I consciousness free, relieved not lone for the Brazilian radical but for the full satellite - for the Amazon, for democracy, for quality rights," said 47-year-old Viridiana Aleixo, portion admitting that Brazil remained precise divided. "We person to beryllium precise patient, and we person to permission the choler and hatred behind."

Twenty years ago, Lula came to powerfulness promising immense alteration - but a consequent autumn from grace implicit corruption scandals disqualified him from moving successful 2018. He had a stint successful prison, earlier his charges were annulled. It has been rather a travel for Lula, but helium has returned with a vengeance.

"I went done a governmental resurrection, due to the fact that they tried to hide maine alive," Lula said. "From the archetypal of January determination won't beryllium 2 Brazils, we are 1 - we don't privation to combat anymore, it's clip to laic down our weapons that should ne'er person been raised successful the archetypal place."

But uniting Brazil volition beryllium Lula's biggest challenge.

On Sunday, 24-year-old Felipe Fonte went to ballot dressed successful Brazil's shot shirt, a colour that's go linked with Brazil's acold right.

"I deliberation [President Jair] Bolsonaro has a batch of flaws, but he's a antheral of God," says Felipe. "He has the close principles, and he's not the biggest thief that ever existed successful Brazil. So that for maine is the biggest thing."

Although Lula officially takes implicit successful the caller year, his occupation begins present - trying to triumph implicit radical similar Felipe.

"Starting tonight, the absorption indispensable beryllium connected initiating a dialog with those who didn't ballot for the president," says Oliver Stuenkel, prof of planetary relations astatine the Getulio Vargas Foundation successful São Paulo. "He needs to beryllium the president for each Brazilians."

In the aftermath of Lula's victory, determination was soundlessness from the Bolsonaro camp. The rumour was helium had gone to bed. A atrocious loser perhaps, but determination is existent interest implicit whether Bolsonaro and his astir extremist followers volition judge the vote.

"I deliberation we are facing a fewer perchance tense days and weeks," says Stuenkel. But portion the satellite waits to perceive whether Bolsonaro volition judge the effect oregon contention it, arsenic helium has often threatened to do, 1 happening is for certain: this is bully quality for democracy, says Stuenkel.

"Bolsonaro had implicit the past 4 years sought to undermine checks and balances and enactment expanding unit connected the judiciary and civilian society," helium says. "In that sense, peculiarly for different democracies astir the world, his triumph is unambiguously bully news, peculiarly astatine a clip of antiauthoritarian regression."

While Lula whitethorn beryllium the aforesaid politician, helium volition beryllium starring a Brazil that's precise antithetic - and overmuch much divided - than the 1 helium took power of 20 years ago. And it comes astatine a clip of heavy economical hardship.

Not lone that, but arsenic Bolsonaro steps speech - 1 hopes - his bequest volition stay successful Congress and determination politics. Lula volition person to contend with blimpish lawmakers successful immoderate helium wants to do.

Will Lula erstwhile again beryllium the saviour of Brazil that galore of his supporters inactive spot him as? On Sunday evening connected Avenida Paulista, they were hopeful.

"It's clip to go, Bolsonaro," they chanted. Lula's backmost - and he's present to alteration Brazil.