The victory is of extraordinary proportions. No other Brazilian politician has ever reached the presidency four times, nor has anyone else won a runoff after finishing second in the first round.

His victory against Senator Flavio Bolsonaro accomplished a feat that, just a few weeks ago, seemed improbable, and Lula, whose life story is defined precisely by the impossible, could achieve it.

The former metalworker, who rose from the working class to become president of Latin America’s largest economy, has once again shown an exceptional ability to grasp the people’s aspirations, endure adversity, and rebuild a majority even when the path forward seemed entirely blocked.

His career is, in itself, a series of extraordinary events: a labor leader during the struggles for democratization, founder of the Workers’ Party (PT), and winner of the 2002 election.

He governed Brazil for two consecutive terms, from 2003 to 2010, gaining an international profile and establishing himself as one of the most recognizable figures on the global left.

Then in 2018, his imprisonment removed him from the political arena. He spent 580 days behind bars before regaining his freedom, and the Brazilian justice system later overturned his convictions.

When many believed his career had ended, he returned to the ballot box to beat Jair Bolsonaro in 2022. Now, on the eve of his 81st birthday, this October 27, he finds himself at the center of another remarkable chapter.

Trailing far-right Flavio Bolsonaro after the October 4 first round, Lula managed to reverse the outcome and secure a fourth term, in an election that once again mobilized a deeply polarized country.

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