Australia

Canberra, 26 October 2026. The Australian press is treating the re-election of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as a setback for the conservative Latin American wave backed by Donald Trump. The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald, which are publishing the same dispatch from Rio de Janeiro, are headlining the return of this "Trump critic": with 100% of the votes counted, the electoral court is attributing 51.8% and nearly 4.4 million more votes to him than to Flávio Bolsonaro. The article sees this as a relief for those who worry about the growing American influence in the region, and notes that Mexico and Brazil, the two most populous countries in Latin America, now have center-left leaders. It adds that the continent's leading economy, with a GDP of $2,600 billion, can remain independent of Washington despite Mr. Trump's tariffs.

SBS is emphasizing that Brazil has slowed a movement that has shifted Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Peru to the right, with the support of the American president. The media outlet is describing a spectacular comeback and an unprecedented fourth term for a leader who will be 81 years old on Tuesday, 27 October. ABC is talking about a result that "defies polls, precedents, and the anti-incumbent sentiment" observed around the world.

The election is being described as chaotic. According to ABC, Supreme Court Judge Cristiano Zanin has accepted the Lula campaign's request to extend voting by two hours, due to public transportation problems in three cities in the state of Bahia. Flávio Bolsonaro, who had also requested an extension in certain regions because of heavy rain, has deemed the decision "unacceptable" and spoken of a "low blow" (SBS). From Brasília, he has stated: "It is impossible to recognize the results. I will request the annulment of these elections." SBS recalls that his father, Jair Bolsonaro, is serving a 27-year prison sentence for attempting a coup.

In his victory speech, Lula said he had "convinced people that voting was extremely important to safeguard democracy" and promised to govern for 215 million Brazilians. PerthNow is gathering reactions from leaders: Claudia Sheinbaum is hailing the victory of the Brazilian people, Chilean José Antonio Kast is congratulating Lula and evoking economic integration and the fight against organized crime, while Miguel Díaz-Canel sees the continuation of the path of "peace, sovereignty, and social justice". The economic aspect remains slim: The Age is only quoting a Bolsonaro supporter, businessman Rodrigo Valentim, who claims that a new Lula government will harm the economy.