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Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was elected president of Brazil in a runoff election that remained tight until its final moments.
Silva, formerly a prisoner over corruption charges, ran against right-wing incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro and won with just just over 50 percent of the vote, reported NPR.
Responding to his victory, Silva merely tweeted a picture of the Brazil flag along with the word “democracy.”
Democracia. pic.twitter.com/zvnBbnQ3HG
— Lula 13 (@LulaOficial) October 30, 2022
Silva is a former president of Brazil, and the latest victory is not his first time as president. He previously served from 2003-2010. Thousands of supporters gathered in Paulista Avenue in the country’s largest city following news of his victory, the Washington Post reported.
U.S. President Joe Biden released a statement on Saturday congratulating Silva on his presidential win in a “free, fair, and credible” election. Biden is still facing accusations from former President Donald Trump that the 2020 presidential election is stolen, a theory that has yet to be proven.
“I send my congratulations to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on his election to be the next president of Brazil following free, fair, and credible elections. I look forward to working together to continue the cooperation between our two countries in the months and years ahead,” the president said in the short message.
Silva was prevented from running in the last president election due to his corruption charges. Even before his victory, the candidate was facing accusations of a potentially rigged election from his opponent’s part.
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