Lula wins Brazil election after comeback fueled by protests and social media

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won Brazil’s presidential election in a comeback aided by student-led demonstrations and a viral WhatsApp channel, according to the Guardian.

The leftist incumbent had placed second in the opening round three weeks earlier. He reportedly told allies he struggled to understand the result, describing his government as the strongest of his three terms.

The first-round outcome left Brazil’s left dismayed. Analysts widely regarded far-right senator Flávio Bolsonaro as certain to win, expecting him to attract most of the 9 million votes cast for other candidates, all of whom were on the right.