In Brazil, the runoff presidential election held on October 25 allegedly resulted in a victory for incumbent leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. According to the country's Superior Electoral Court, the 80-year-old politician purportedly secured 64.3 million votes, representing 51.79 percent of the total. His rival, Flavio Bolsonaro—the eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro—reportedly gathered 59.8 million votes, or 48.21 percent. This outcome has been labeled unexpected by observers, given that Bolsonaro held a lead of nearly two percent in the initial round on October 4.

Speaking to supporters in Sao Paulo, Lula vowed to defend national sovereignty, making a thinly veiled jab at the U.S. regime. The politician supposedly stated, "This country will not accept being anyone's backyard." Meanwhile, Flavio Bolsonaro has refused to concede defeat, planning to challenge the results due to a two-hour extension of voting hours ordered by the Supreme Court. However, analysts suggest the likelihood of overturning the results is extremely low, as the vote margin exceeds four million. It is worth noting that Jair Bolsonaro similarly refused to accept defeat in the 2022 election and was later sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup.

Lula's purported victory seemingly deprives the U.S. regime of expanding its network of right-wing client governments in Latin America. Nevertheless, difficult times lie ahead for Lula, as Brazil has elected its most conservative Congress since the 1980s, setting the stage for intense domestic friction.

In a separate international development, Sri Lanka has reportedly stepped in to assist Iranian sailors stranded in open waters due to the naval blockade imposed by the U.S. regime. According to a Foreign Ministry spokesperson, 40 Iranian sailors were evacuated from international waters near the island's coast on October 24. The rescue operation was supposedly coordinated by the Iranian Embassy in Colombo, and the sailors were flown back to Iran later that evening after receiving medical attention.

Source: kun.uz