The leftist Lula da Silva has narrowly prevailed over the far-right president, Jair BolsonaroThe former trade unionist will assume the presidency, for the third time, in a deeply polarized countryLula has been politically resurrected after spending 20 months in jail accused of corruptionThe elections have been closest in Brazil since the return of democracy. The leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will become president of the Latin American giant after prevailing in a very tight victory over the current far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro (50.9% vs. 49.1%). The leader of the Workers’ Party has been politically resurrected after spending 20 months in jail. “They tried to bury me alive and now I am here to govern the country,” he said after learning of his victory in Sunday’s elections. The former trade unionist, who has just turned 77, came to power for the first time almost two decades ago (he governed between 2003 and 2010). He was fired with a record acceptance rate of 87%. Then came the legal problems. He spent 580 days in jail accused of passive corruption and money laundering for the so-called Lava Jato Operation, a plot with which politicians and businessmen profited. He always proclaimed his innocence and declared himself the victim of “political persecution.” He was released in 2019. In 2021, the Supreme Court unanimously annulled all convictions, considering that the process led by Judge Sergio Moro had not been impartial. Moro, by the way, became Minister of Justice with Bolsonaro. Challenges in a strongly polarized country The result reflects the strong polarization that exists in Brazilian society, a scenario in which two antagonistic figures have fought and with which Lula will have to deal with in his third term. He has shown his intention to unite a divided country, but it seems that it will not be easy after elections characterized by a very harsh climate and with a very tight result. Leading a broad center-left coalition, the leftist leader has promised to fight hunger and unemployment. During his previous mandates, his government proclaimed that it had managed to lift almost 30 million Brazilians out of extreme poverty with social programs that became a hallmark of his administration. The country, rich in natural resources, experienced great economic growth at that time, benefiting from the high prices of raw materials. But the economic context that he is facing now, after the covid pandemic, is less favorable. A group of Brazilians celebrate the electoral victory of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Rio de Janeiro. Anadolu Agency / Getty Lula has been attracting foreign investment and cleaning up the international reputation of the country, whose image he considers undermined by Bolsonaro. On the other hand, he has called for international cooperation to preserve the Amazon rainforest whose level of deforestation has reached record figures under the current mandate, according to critics. A follower of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro cries for his defeat, in Brasilia .Anadolu Agency / Getty After confirming Lula’s victory, Bolsonaro has remained silent in the first hours. Before the first electoral round, the president came to sow doubts about whether he would accept a possible defeat, feeding the shadow of electoral fraud. He must leave office on January 1, the date on which his rival will assume the presidency.