Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Wins Election Comeback Against Right-Wing Challenger Flavio Bolsonaro

Brazil's leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva pulled off a dramatic comeback on Sunday as he clinched election victory against right-wing senator Flavio Bolsonaro, who trounced him in the first round. With Lula's victory, Brazil staved off a conservative wave that has seen numerous countries -- such as Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Peru -- all shift right, backed by US President Donald Trump. The leftist icon, who turns 81 on Tuesday, defied all projections to win an unprecedented fourth term. According to official results, he won 51.7 percent of the votes to 48.2 percent for Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, who had entered election day confident with his lead in the polls. Since the first direct election following the end of Brazil’s dictatorship in 1989, no candidate who lost the first round had gone on to win the second. Fireworks and vuvuzelas rang out in Rio de Janeiro, while thousands of people dressed in red, the color of Lula's Workers' Party, streamed into the streets of Sao Paulo to celebrate. In a video posted to social media, the president appeared jumping for joy,wearing red, star-shaped glasses, at a hotel in Sao Paulo, where he is scheduled to speak to the press later.