Leaders and figures within the global left have expressed widespread celebration following the reelection of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as Brazil's president, despite accusations of controversial electoral practices and past legal issues. The sentiment stands in contrast to concerns raised by critics who describe the victory as a "collapse of Brazilian democracy."
Among those celebrating were New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who invoked the slogan "The people united will never be defeated!" Spanish socialist Pedro Sánchez described Lula's win as a "great victory" signaling "the comeback of global progressivism." Alex Soros, heir to George Soros' political empire, congratulated Brazilians for "standing up against authoritarianism once again!" Senator Bernie Sanders praised Lula for protecting "workers & democracy," while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that "democracy and multilateralism" had won. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham called it "a true victory for democracy and progressive values," and U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez asserted that "Brazil showed the world that the will of the people is stronger than the authoritarians who try to suppress it."
Critics, however, have raised questions about the circumstances of Lula's victory over incumbent Flávio Bolsonaro. These concerns include a ruling by Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin, who previously served as Lula's defense attorney, to extend voting deadlines. Reports from electoral lawyers cited by The New York Times described this as an "unprecedented" decision. While polls in areas favoring Bolsonaro reportedly closed closer to their original times, those in Lula's strongholds remained open for the extended period.
Further criticisms leveled against Lula include allegations of unconstitutional pre-election bribes and concerns about his past economic policies. Following the announcement of his victory, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, identified as a Lula ally, ordered the seizure of Bolsonaro's passports in connection with a criminal investigation. Bolsonaro has reportedly fled Brazil for the United States.
U.S. House Democrats have also voiced criticism, not of Lula's actions, but of the United States' role in granting Bolsonaro asylum. Representative Joaquin Castro of Texas questioned the decision to provide safe haven, stating, "Losing an election is not grounds for asylum." Representative Shri Thanedar of Michigan tweeted that Bolsonaro was "fleeing Brazil" after losing and congratulated Brazil, adding, "democracy always comes out on top!"
Former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan has been noted for his commentary, and the article references past controversies involving his views. The piece also draws parallels between the current situation and other political figures and events, including the legal actions against Donald Trump, Sanders' past associations, Justin Trudeau's comments on Fidel Castro, Hasan's past statements, Abdul El-Sayed's support for the Muslim Brotherhood, and pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
The article posits that for certain political factions, "there is no norm they wouldn't break, no amount of suffering they wouldn't tolerate, and no authoritarian they wouldn't embrace if it served their purposes," all under the banner of "democracy."