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Lula da Silva’s triumph results in mayhem and elation on the streets of Sao Paulo – but uniting Brazil will be hard | World News


The diversity of a Lula crowd is actually quite special; it is a melting pot of Brazilian society.

Lula’s rallies and gatherings are often part political, but mostly partisan, and this unusual day is no exception, although it sometimes looks like it will be short-lived, because this election has come to an end.

Early voting tends to favor right-wing candidates as incumbents Jair Bolsonaroand he got ahead when the results started to come in.

For Lula da Silva’s left-wing supporters, it’s been a case of keeping the faith and trust.

This second round is no different.

For tens of thousands Lula supporters had gathered on Sao Paulo’s Paulista Avenue, knowing that a victory for their candidate would change the political course of the country. Brazil.

The tension is clearly visible.

Everyone’s eyes were glued to their phones, refreshing the official election results website every few seconds – the results were like a trickle of hope.

At first, Lula’s votes began to grow, and every benefit received acclaim from the crowd.

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Crowds erupt in celebration after Lula .’s victory

It was neck and neck until the end, and then it was done, Lula da Silva was declared the winner.

Cue mess.

People in the crowd were crying and hugging each other, as fireworks exploded above their heads. Within minutes, people began to flood the streets, heading for the celebration.

Cars honked, occupants shouted “Lula, Lula, Lula!”

It was a complete explosion of relief and happiness. The party was in full swing.

A young woman in the crowd was in tears. She explained to me that it was an important moment for her and her family to see Lula become president again.

“I’m a doctor today, it’s because of Lula, today I got this, it’s because of Lula, everything is because of him,” she said.

“My family was very poor, very poor, and today I live in Sao Paulo and do a job that I love.”

Throughout the day, large numbers of riot police and armed police gathered in the parks around the main avenue.

Sao Paulo's Paulista Avenue was packed.  Photo: AP
Picture:
Sao Paulo’s Paulista Avenue was packed. Photo: AP

There’s always been a fear with an election result so close – and everyone predicted it – that if two supporters clashed, it could turn violent.

But as far as we can tell, none of President Bolsonaro’s supporters show up here, or are visible in the crowd.

News spreads that Lula will appear.

A member of his internal team has been updating us regularly, saying that he is meeting his campaign and legal teams and taking calls from world leaders, including the President. US President Joe Biden.

It was important for Lula and his team that his victory was fully endorsed by other countries, to hopefully remove the fear that President Bolsonaro would simply not accept the outcome.

Lula greets the crowd with his wife (red)
Picture:
Lula greets the crowd with his wife (red)

It was impossible to guess how many supporters in the crowd were waiting for him. A sea of ​​red covers this part of the city center as far as the eye can see.

They sang Lula’s catchy campaign songs… and waited.

He finally appeared on a moving stage and kissed his wife Rosangela da Silva. His arrival was met with a shrill roar.

It’s a night of celebration for Lula da Silva and his men, and celebrates they did, as huge plumes of fireworks light up Sao Paulo’s night sky.

It’s hard to describe how divided Brazil is, and the election results certainly tell a story of deep divisions in the country.

And for supporters of both Presidents Bolsonaro and Lula da Silva, there is nothing in common.

“If they vote for Bolsonaro, they’re fascist, they’re homophobic, they’re racist, then there’s no getting back together,” one of Lula’s supporters told me.

“So we had to move to another Brazil, a new time.”

Both sides fully believe that they are the guardians of Brazil’s future and many actually hate each other.

Lula has promised to unify her country – it will be difficult, especially since almost half of them did not vote for him.

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