President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (L) and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attend the opening ceremony of the "Belem Climate Summit" as part of the COP30 Brazil Amazonia 2025 on November 6, 2025 in Belem, Brazil.
Lula's Victory Offers Hope for Democracy and the Amazon
The win in Brazil, the win in Serbia, the probable win in Israel against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s disastrous far-right coalition, and the upcoming midterms in the US, show that the power belongs to the people.
When Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva lost the first round of the Brazilian election and fell behind in the polls, I thought he would lose the election. So, the fact that he won is a stunning comeback. It took the three weeks between the two elections, hundreds of hours of street and online mobilization by Lula’s Army of Supporters, to defeat the conservative candidate, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro. Another member of the Bolsonaro family, of course!
Lula’s winning magic was helped by a video. It’s a clip between the two men from their debate that rightfully deserves to be immortalized. In it, Bolsonaro asks him: “Why are 73% of the prisoners voting for you?” And the wise Lula answers: “I want 100% of the prisoners’ votes. Including your dad’s vote!” The people in the studio laughed. This exchange made Brazilian society laugh too, wake up, and think, after seeing a dynamic performance by Lula on live TV. It was the opposite of former US President Joe Biden in that infamous debate.
Bolsonaro (son of the ex-president Jair Bolsonaro who is imprisoned), who had pledged to join President Donald Trump’s “Shield of the Americas” security and political initiative, is the big loser. Flávio reportedly fled Brazil after losing. Nobody has to be a genius to advise him: “Flávio, you lost. Concede with dignity. Don't follow Trump's infamous playbook. Show some grace in defeat.” But Bolsonaro losing is great news not only for the people of Brazil, but also for the flora and fauna of the Amazon rainforest.
Thus, Lula, who is a former worker, a unionist, and a pragmatic politician, prevents the return to power of the far-right with the Bolsonaros.
Thus, Lula wins a fourth term as Brazilian president, after a dramatic run-off. The crucial matter is that Lula, alone, defeated Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Donald Trump, and Flávio Bolsonaro together. After all, defeated are those who stop fighting! Musk said Brazil's presidential election results do not “add up.” Relax, Mr. Trillionaire! Next to Lula, the Amazon rainforest won big time, ensuring it will not become a place for giant companies worth billions who want to mine for diamonds, gold, and extract petrol from its lands. And Anne Applebaum wrote in an X post: “In one day, two politicians—Bolsonaro in Brazil and Vucic in Serbia—with ties to Trump and his family have lost surprise elections, thanks to high turnout. The rise of the international far-right is not inevitable.”
Lula has four fingers on his left hand! The one finger that's missing, he lost at 17 years old when he was working as a metalworker and a mechanical lathe crushed his pinky finger. As he has said, “I arrived at three in the morning [at the hospital] smelling like work overalls, smelling like grease” and he looked so bad that the doctor didn’t bother to save his finger. In his eyes, that was the result of poverty.
During his years in power, Lula has supported democratic institutions and made important progress on protecting the forest—there is a web of laws protecting the Amazon now–and local communities who depend on it for their survival, but of course, for a few analysts, he had a mixed record in other areas. The economy has problems, but the same happens in countries like Germany and Japan.
Someone must acknowledge that deforestation has dropped drastically under Lula’s government, which has “set a target of completely halting illegal deforestation by 2030.” It reactivated the Amazon Fund, which is a mechanism backed by countries like Norway to finance conservation and monitoring, and stepped up enforcement through satellite imagery and policing. Lula also launched on November 6, 2025 the Tropical Forests Forever Facility to help developing nations to keep their forests intact.
The win in Brazil, the win in Serbia, the probable win in Israel against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s disastrous far-right coalition, and the upcoming midterms in the US, which will also test control of Congress, show that the power belongs to the people. That’s democracy in other words, and the people must have the final say.
Thus, Lula, who is a former worker, a unionist, and a pragmatic politician, prevents the return to power of the far-right with the Bolsonaros. So, this is a great result not only for the workers and democracy, but also for the giant Amazon lung. An electoral win for all the species that have lived there for thousands of years! Money is not above everything as capitalism’s big corporations teach, while in the end, the poor get crumbs if they’re lucky. The “pro-worker” left, headed by Lula, may have its own problems, but it is far better for society and the environment. The right thinks mainly of the plutocrats and the big profits; it leaves barbarism, which is a society in ruins.
The tireless Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said about Lula’s victory: “He will continue to fight for Brazilian workers and democracy over the next four years.” All the progressives and their grassroots movements around the world breathed the fresh air of the Amazon again.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
When Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva lost the first round of the Brazilian election and fell behind in the polls, I thought he would lose the election. So, the fact that he won is a stunning comeback. It took the three weeks between the two elections, hundreds of hours of street and online mobilization by Lula’s Army of Supporters, to defeat the conservative candidate, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro. Another member of the Bolsonaro family, of course!
Lula’s winning magic was helped by a video. It’s a clip between the two men from their debate that rightfully deserves to be immortalized. In it, Bolsonaro asks him: “Why are 73% of the prisoners voting for you?” And the wise Lula answers: “I want 100% of the prisoners’ votes. Including your dad’s vote!” The people in the studio laughed. This exchange made Brazilian society laugh too, wake up, and think, after seeing a dynamic performance by Lula on live TV. It was the opposite of former US President Joe Biden in that infamous debate.
Bolsonaro (son of the ex-president Jair Bolsonaro who is imprisoned), who had pledged to join President Donald Trump’s “Shield of the Americas” security and political initiative, is the big loser. Flávio reportedly fled Brazil after losing. Nobody has to be a genius to advise him: “Flávio, you lost. Concede with dignity. Don't follow Trump's infamous playbook. Show some grace in defeat.” But Bolsonaro losing is great news not only for the people of Brazil, but also for the flora and fauna of the Amazon rainforest.
Thus, Lula, who is a former worker, a unionist, and a pragmatic politician, prevents the return to power of the far-right with the Bolsonaros.
Thus, Lula wins a fourth term as Brazilian president, after a dramatic run-off. The crucial matter is that Lula, alone, defeated Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Donald Trump, and Flávio Bolsonaro together. After all, defeated are those who stop fighting! Musk said Brazil's presidential election results do not “add up.” Relax, Mr. Trillionaire! Next to Lula, the Amazon rainforest won big time, ensuring it will not become a place for giant companies worth billions who want to mine for diamonds, gold, and extract petrol from its lands. And Anne Applebaum wrote in an X post: “In one day, two politicians—Bolsonaro in Brazil and Vucic in Serbia—with ties to Trump and his family have lost surprise elections, thanks to high turnout. The rise of the international far-right is not inevitable.”
Lula has four fingers on his left hand! The one finger that's missing, he lost at 17 years old when he was working as a metalworker and a mechanical lathe crushed his pinky finger. As he has said, “I arrived at three in the morning [at the hospital] smelling like work overalls, smelling like grease” and he looked so bad that the doctor didn’t bother to save his finger. In his eyes, that was the result of poverty.
During his years in power, Lula has supported democratic institutions and made important progress on protecting the forest—there is a web of laws protecting the Amazon now–and local communities who depend on it for their survival, but of course, for a few analysts, he had a mixed record in other areas. The economy has problems, but the same happens in countries like Germany and Japan.
Someone must acknowledge that deforestation has dropped drastically under Lula’s government, which has “set a target of completely halting illegal deforestation by 2030.” It reactivated the Amazon Fund, which is a mechanism backed by countries like Norway to finance conservation and monitoring, and stepped up enforcement through satellite imagery and policing. Lula also launched on November 6, 2025 the Tropical Forests Forever Facility to help developing nations to keep their forests intact.
The win in Brazil, the win in Serbia, the probable win in Israel against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s disastrous far-right coalition, and the upcoming midterms in the US, which will also test control of Congress, show that the power belongs to the people. That’s democracy in other words, and the people must have the final say.
Thus, Lula, who is a former worker, a unionist, and a pragmatic politician, prevents the return to power of the far-right with the Bolsonaros. So, this is a great result not only for the workers and democracy, but also for the giant Amazon lung. An electoral win for all the species that have lived there for thousands of years! Money is not above everything as capitalism’s big corporations teach, while in the end, the poor get crumbs if they’re lucky. The “pro-worker” left, headed by Lula, may have its own problems, but it is far better for society and the environment. The right thinks mainly of the plutocrats and the big profits; it leaves barbarism, which is a society in ruins.
The tireless Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said about Lula’s victory: “He will continue to fight for Brazilian workers and democracy over the next four years.” All the progressives and their grassroots movements around the world breathed the fresh air of the Amazon again.
- In COP27 Speech, Lula Vows to Make Amazon Destruction 'A Thing of the Past' ›
- Lula's Win a Victory for Amazon Rainforest and Global Climate ›
- Democracy, Amazon, Human Dignity: What Hangs in the Balance for Brazil’s Life-or-Death Election ›
- US Urged to Recognize Lula's Win as Trump Ally Flávio Bolsonaro Demands 'Annulment' ›
- 'Lungs of the Earth Will Breathe Easier Tonight': Amazon Defenders Cheer Lula Victory ›
- Brazil's Lula Wins 'Historic Victory' Against Right-Wing Trump Ally Flávio Bolsonaro ›
When Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva lost the first round of the Brazilian election and fell behind in the polls, I thought he would lose the election. So, the fact that he won is a stunning comeback. It took the three weeks between the two elections, hundreds of hours of street and online mobilization by Lula’s Army of Supporters, to defeat the conservative candidate, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro. Another member of the Bolsonaro family, of course!
Lula’s winning magic was helped by a video. It’s a clip between the two men from their debate that rightfully deserves to be immortalized. In it, Bolsonaro asks him: “Why are 73% of the prisoners voting for you?” And the wise Lula answers: “I want 100% of the prisoners’ votes. Including your dad’s vote!” The people in the studio laughed. This exchange made Brazilian society laugh too, wake up, and think, after seeing a dynamic performance by Lula on live TV. It was the opposite of former US President Joe Biden in that infamous debate.
Bolsonaro (son of the ex-president Jair Bolsonaro who is imprisoned), who had pledged to join President Donald Trump’s “Shield of the Americas” security and political initiative, is the big loser. Flávio reportedly fled Brazil after losing. Nobody has to be a genius to advise him: “Flávio, you lost. Concede with dignity. Don't follow Trump's infamous playbook. Show some grace in defeat.” But Bolsonaro losing is great news not only for the people of Brazil, but also for the flora and fauna of the Amazon rainforest.
Thus, Lula, who is a former worker, a unionist, and a pragmatic politician, prevents the return to power of the far-right with the Bolsonaros.
Thus, Lula wins a fourth term as Brazilian president, after a dramatic run-off. The crucial matter is that Lula, alone, defeated Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Donald Trump, and Flávio Bolsonaro together. After all, defeated are those who stop fighting! Musk said Brazil's presidential election results do not “add up.” Relax, Mr. Trillionaire! Next to Lula, the Amazon rainforest won big time, ensuring it will not become a place for giant companies worth billions who want to mine for diamonds, gold, and extract petrol from its lands. And Anne Applebaum wrote in an X post: “In one day, two politicians—Bolsonaro in Brazil and Vucic in Serbia—with ties to Trump and his family have lost surprise elections, thanks to high turnout. The rise of the international far-right is not inevitable.”
Lula has four fingers on his left hand! The one finger that's missing, he lost at 17 years old when he was working as a metalworker and a mechanical lathe crushed his pinky finger. As he has said, “I arrived at three in the morning [at the hospital] smelling like work overalls, smelling like grease” and he looked so bad that the doctor didn’t bother to save his finger. In his eyes, that was the result of poverty.
During his years in power, Lula has supported democratic institutions and made important progress on protecting the forest—there is a web of laws protecting the Amazon now–and local communities who depend on it for their survival, but of course, for a few analysts, he had a mixed record in other areas. The economy has problems, but the same happens in countries like Germany and Japan.
Someone must acknowledge that deforestation has dropped drastically under Lula’s government, which has “set a target of completely halting illegal deforestation by 2030.” It reactivated the Amazon Fund, which is a mechanism backed by countries like Norway to finance conservation and monitoring, and stepped up enforcement through satellite imagery and policing. Lula also launched on November 6, 2025 the Tropical Forests Forever Facility to help developing nations to keep their forests intact.
The win in Brazil, the win in Serbia, the probable win in Israel against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s disastrous far-right coalition, and the upcoming midterms in the US, which will also test control of Congress, show that the power belongs to the people. That’s democracy in other words, and the people must have the final say.
Thus, Lula, who is a former worker, a unionist, and a pragmatic politician, prevents the return to power of the far-right with the Bolsonaros. So, this is a great result not only for the workers and democracy, but also for the giant Amazon lung. An electoral win for all the species that have lived there for thousands of years! Money is not above everything as capitalism’s big corporations teach, while in the end, the poor get crumbs if they’re lucky. The “pro-worker” left, headed by Lula, may have its own problems, but it is far better for society and the environment. The right thinks mainly of the plutocrats and the big profits; it leaves barbarism, which is a society in ruins.
The tireless Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said about Lula’s victory: “He will continue to fight for Brazilian workers and democracy over the next four years.” All the progressives and their grassroots movements around the world breathed the fresh air of the Amazon again.
- In COP27 Speech, Lula Vows to Make Amazon Destruction 'A Thing of the Past' ›
- Lula's Win a Victory for Amazon Rainforest and Global Climate ›
- Democracy, Amazon, Human Dignity: What Hangs in the Balance for Brazil’s Life-or-Death Election ›
- US Urged to Recognize Lula's Win as Trump Ally Flávio Bolsonaro Demands 'Annulment' ›
- 'Lungs of the Earth Will Breathe Easier Tonight': Amazon Defenders Cheer Lula Victory ›
- Brazil's Lula Wins 'Historic Victory' Against Right-Wing Trump Ally Flávio Bolsonaro ›