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Conservative movement gains ground in Brazil
Heritage Foundation distinguished fellow Daniel McCarthy discusses Brazil’s rightward shift and the changing political landscape across Latin America on ‘Kudlow.’
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s victory securing a fourth term spurred a social media firestorm Monday morning as progressives in the United States celebrated his win from afar.
“Yesterday, Brazil showed the world that the will of the people is stronger than the authoritarians who try to suppress it,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said in a “Congratulations, President [Lula] and congratulations Brazil.”
Progressives have framed Lula’s victory as a transnational repudiation of what they regard as the core politics of the Trump administration and its allies. But questions about the election remain after one of Brazil’s Supreme Court justices granted a last-minute extension of the country’s polling hours, prompting Lula’s opponent to question the legitimacy of the outcome.
In the waning hours of the election, Lula requested a two-hour extension of voting hours from the country’s Supreme Court, citing delayed public transportation services. Less than half an hour before the polls were scheduled to close, Supreme Court Justice Christiano Zanin granted the extension nationwide, prompting an outcry from Flávio Bolsonaro, Lula’s opponent.
https://x.com/RepAOC/status/2114716400803811339
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, D-N.Y., pictured alongside a parade behind Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva who just won a fourth term on Sunday evening. (Adam Gray – Pool/Getty Images; Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images)
“What happened today was not normal. It was something frankly unacceptable. A Supreme Court justice, for the first time in history — a former lawyer of Lula’s — issues an order at the request of a former partner of his and changes the rules of the game in the middle of the game,” Bolsonaro said in a statement.
Notably, Bolsonaro’s campaign also asked for an extension, citing heavy rain.
Election experts in the country, speaking with local media, said the inclement weather and polling extension could provide grounds for a legal challenge to the election.
“There is the possibility of requesting the annulment of the election. The deluge that fell in Santa Catarina and Paraná caused harm. The lack of buses and the restriction of public transportation in strategic cities, such as Salvador and São Paulo, harmed the right to vote,” Guilherme Gonçalves, an attorney and member of the Brazilian Academy of Electoral and Political Law, told Brazilian outlet GZH.
Another expert, while casting doubt on whether a legal challenge would ultimately succeed, said uncertainty over the election would continue.
“It is difficult for it to succeed, but the point is that the [Supreme Court] contributed to the instability of the electoral process, which is serious,” Guilherme Barcelos, an attorney with a doctorate in constitutional law and specialization in electoral law, told GZH. “The election does not end today. That is the point.”
In the meantime, several Republican figures back in the U.S. blasted the outcome. Martin De Luca, an attorney representing some of President Donald Trump’s media groups, accused Lula of benefiting from his political connections to the Supreme Court.
“Yesterday Brazil showed the world that if you are losing an election and you need to turn it around, you can call on your former lawyer turned judge to give you a lift and you’ll still be congratulated by all who share the cause,” De Luca
Donald Trump Jr. echoed De Luca’s criticism in a reply to his post.
“If a conservative government in Brazil did this, everyone in the mainstream press in America would lose their minds, but I guess they’re just choosing to be silent because it’s all for the cause,” Trump Jr.
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“Brazil did not have an election today. They had their country stolen from them by a criminal band of corrupt hacks who belong in jail,” Joey Mannarino, the co-founder of the Overton Institute, a conservative-leaning think tank,
During his campaign, Bolsonaro built momentum on promises to increase public safety by expanding prison capacity and drastically cut the size of government through a 25% reduction in government ministries — policies that many Democrats viewed as mirroring efforts by the Trump administration.
By contrast, Lula has advocated for anti-poverty programs, minimum-wage increases and expanded assistance for low-income families.
The platform drew praise from progressive groups including the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
“It is with tremendous pride that the Democratic Socialists of America congratulate President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin … and the coalition of progressive and leftists parties on their victory and re-election in Brazil’s second round of presidential elections this past Sunday,” the group wrote in a press release.
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a press conference at the site where a man was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer during an operation in the Bronx, on October 8, 2026, in New York City. (Ryan Murphy/Getty Images)
“We commend the wide range of forces that joined together … to defend Brazilian democracy and secure this victory.”
Other prominent progressives also celebrated Lula’s victory as a triumph for policies aligned with their own.
“Lula has stood up for Brazilian workers and democracy — and will continue to do so in the next four years,” Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., wrote to X.
“People all across the world are fighting back against extremism. With Lula in Brazil, they just won,” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.,
