Meta chooses sides in Brazil’s election | Ep. 16
Brazil’s Lula wins ‘historic victory’ against right-wing Trump ally Flávio Bolsonaro
‘Good day for Democracy’: Lula’s win in Brazil and Serbia ousting Vučić show strength of ‘people power’
This story originally appeared in Common Dreams on Oct. 26, 2026. It is shared here under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license.
“There is nothing inevitable about the far right,” said one former Obama administration official Sunday night as supporters of the left-wing Student List in Serbia poured into the streets of Belgrade and other cities across the Balkan country, celebrating their defeat of right-wing President Aleksandar Vučić, who has led the nation for nearly a decade and has been accused of corruption and autocratic rule.
The Student List’s victory coincided with that of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who was also backed by a student-led movement that marched through Rio de Janeiro and other cities in recent weeks, as US President Donald Trump was accused of election interference on behalf of right-wing Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, Lula’s opponent.
Both countries reported high voter turnout in the pivotal elections, proving, as journalist Anne Applebaum said, “that voters can alter what feels like a historical shift.”
In years of genocidehope came from the youngIn Serbia2 yrs of youth-led protest -integrity, unity, perseverance- brought changeToday that hope is a rainbowits far end in BrazilMay it shinewherever wounds run deepand the young are fighting the oldHumanity will prevail pic.twitter.com/jKA6n4EmFR— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) October 26, 2026
In Serbia, Vučić said it was “clear that we have lost the election,” as results showed his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) had won about 105 seats while the Student List had won at least 135.
The Student List movement, officially registered by the Republic Electoral Commission as “Studentska lista—Studenti pobeđuju” (Student List—Students Win) began in November 2024 after the concrete
Flávio Bolsonaro flees to US
Far Right Makes Gains in Brazil in First Round of Presidential Race
Brazil’s presidential election is headed to a runoff between leftist incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and far-right Senator Flávio Bolsonaro after neither candidate cleared 50% in Sunday’s vote, in which the right made gains in Congress and in governor races across the country. Bolsonaro received 47% of the vote compared to Lula’s 45%. The second round of voting is on October 25. If elected…
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