Bolsonaro's Party Accepts Brazil Election Result Despite Trump Criticism
The Liberal Party endorsed Lula's victory on Monday, even as the junior Bolsonaro maintained doubts and US President Donald Trump called the vote questionable.
By Malik Salazar ·
The Brazilian presidential race ended in a victory for incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who defeated Flavio Bolsonaro by more than 4.4 million votes. Lula secured 64.25 million ballots, while Bolsonaro received 59.83 million. Valdemar Costa Neto, leader of the right-wing Liberal Party, announced that his party accepted the result on Monday.
Costa Neto acknowledged the win but expressed reservations about the process. "We recognise the presidential election results," he said. "But we believe the issues raised need to be properly clarified." Bolsonaro had previously pledged to seek annulment of the election, calling the outcome unacceptable in a post-vote speech.
The core dispute involves a last-minute extension of voting hours. Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin ordered polls to remain open until 7 p.m. Brasilia time, later than the scheduled 5 p.m. closing. Bolsonaro's campaign cited heavy rain in southern Brazil that hindered voters, while Lula's side pointed to cuts in public transport. Bolsonaro criticized Zanin, noting the justice had served as Lula's personal lawyer before joining the court in 2023.
US President Donald Trump voiced strong doubts about the integrity of the count. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump stated, "Elections have to be indisputable and it looked very bad to me. It looked like another rigged election, frankly." Despite the criticism, Trump said he did not take sides in the dispute.
Experts questioned the impact of the extended hours on the final tally. Pedro Burgos, a professor at the Insper institute, calculated that the change added roughly 35,000 votes nationwide. This figure represented under 0.03 percent of the total, a margin far smaller than Lula's victory gap.
Bolsonaro's position mirrors the path taken by his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro. After losing in 2022, the elder Bolsonaro refused to concede and faced prosecution for plotting a coup. He is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence. Flavio Bolsonaro and his siblings have campaigned for his release, describing the trial as political persecution.
Folha de S Paulo reported that legal advisers have urged the senator to drop his challenge due to the large margin of victory. Bolsonaro stated that federal police asked him to surrender his passports, a move fueled by speculation that he might leave the country. He said he would comply and planned to organize the opposition.
