Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gestures to supporters after winning the presidential runoff election in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (AFP pic)SAO PAULO: World leaders, except for US president Donald Trump, congratulated Brazilian incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on his election win Monday, while markets plummeted following the shock result.
The leftist president, who turns 81 on Tuesday, pulled off an improbable victory against the son of far-right ex-leader Jair Bolsonaro, securing 51.8% of the vote compared to his challenger's 48.2%.
Markets reacted negatively to the outcome, and a plummeting Ibovespa index triggered a 30-minute trading suspension on the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange, which had surged after Bolsonaro's first-round win.
