New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani congratulated Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on his reelection while invoking a slogan associated with socialist movements, as Lula’s defeated opponent challenged the presidential runoff results.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani congratulated Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on his reelection Sunday, invoking a longstanding socialist protest slogan as controversy emerged over voting procedures in Brazil’s presidential runoff.
“The people united will never be defeated!” Mamdani declared in a social media message celebrating Lula’s victory, referencing a political chant widely associated with left-wing movements in Latin America and elsewhere.
The statement followed Brazil’s Oct. 25 presidential election, in which Lula defeated conservative Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro. The result secured Lula a fourth presidential term, although Bolsonaro refused to concede and announced plans to challenge the outcome.
According to official results released by Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court, Lula received 64,256,232 votes, or 51.79%, compared with Bolsonaro’s 59,826,041 votes, or 48.21%. The margin exceeded 4.4 million votes.
The victory represented a reversal from the first round of voting, when Bolsonaro finished ahead of Lula by nearly two percentage points. Lula subsequently gained enough support to win the runoff, marking an unusual electoral comeback in Brazil’s modern presidential history.
However, the result drew objections from Bolsonaro, who questioned a decision extending voting hours by two hours in certain locations following transportation disruptions and weather-related difficulties.
The extension was authorized by Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin, who was appointed by Lula. Bolsonaro argued that the last-minute adjustment undermined confidence in the election and announced that his legal team would seek to invalidate the results.
“It is impossible to recognize the election results, given the circumstances under which things unfolded,” Bolsonaro told journalists, according to Reuters reporting on the disputed election.
The extension had also been requested by Bolsonaro’s campaign because of heavy rainfall in conservative-leaning southern Brazil. Electoral authorities have recognized Lula’s victory, and the objections have not established that the reported vote totals were inaccurate.
Against that political backdrop, Mamdani’s message attracted attention for its use of a phrase historically associated with socialist organizing and protest movements.
The slogan is best known internationally through the Chilean protest song “El pueblo unido jamás será vencido,” translated as “The people united will never be defeated.”
Chilean composer Sergio Ortega wrote the song in 1973 during the presidency of Salvador Allende, whose socialist government faced growing political opposition and economic turmoil before the military coup led by Gen. Augusto Pinochet.
Allende died during the September 1973 coup, and Pinochet subsequently ruled Chile for 17 years. The song became closely associated with opposition to military rule and later spread through socialist, communist, labor and other protest movements worldwide.
Its use has extended beyond explicitly Marxist organizations, appearing at demonstrations involving a broad range of political and social causes.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist and prominent figure in New York City politics, has publicly expressed admiration for Lula and his policies. The two leaders met in New York during Lula’s visit for the United Nations General Assembly in September.
At a Monday news conference, Mamdani reiterated his support for Lula, describing the Brazilian president’s victory as an affirmation of the slogan. He also praised Lula’s labor policies, including efforts to reduce Brazil’s standard six-day workweek, according to Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo.
The 35-year-old mayor has frequently emphasized labor protections, affordability and government programs aimed at working-class residents, positions that overlap with elements of Lula’s political agenda.
Lula, 80, leads Brazil’s left-wing Workers’ Party and has sought to strengthen social welfare policies while maintaining an active role in international diplomacy. His reelection comes amid continuing political polarization in Brazil and broader ideological divisions across Latin America.
While political leaders and supporters celebrated Lula’s victory, Bolsonaro’s challenge introduced uncertainty surrounding the immediate aftermath of the election.
Brazilian electoral authorities have maintained the official result, and Bolsonaro’s proposed legal challenge would need to establish grounds for overturning an outcome decided by millions of votes.
Mamdani’s public endorsement placed New York City’s mayor among international political figures welcoming Lula’s return to office for another term, even as Brazil’s opposition continued disputing the voting process.
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