Landslide win for Lula in Brazilian election in Barcelona with 75% of votes

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was elected Brazilian president for a third term on Sunday night by a slight margin, less than 2 percentage points. Counting votes cast in the Barcelona area, however, the election winner prevailed with a much clearer majority. 

The progressive candidate won by landslide in the Catalan capital's consulate with 75.5% of the valid votes, with far-right Jair Bolsonaro taking 24.5%, according to the official results published by the Brazilian electoral board. 

Brazilians living in Catalonia plus seven other regions in Spain, the Basque Country, Navarra, la Rioja, Aragon, Valencia, the Balearic Islands and Murcia, all had to vote in person in the Catalan capital. 

Around 41% of the 10,885 people with the right to vote (4,465) turned up. With around 1,000 blank or void votes, 3,246 people backed Lula (75.51% of the ballots to candidates), and 1,053 went for Bolsonaro (24.49%). 

Residents of Catalonia and the other regions willing to cast their ballot had to do it in person in the Fira de Barcelona exhibition center on Sunday from 8am to 5pm. 

The rest of all Brazilians in Spain had to go to Madrid, where Lula also prevailed but by a much slimmer margin: 56.1%, to the outgoing president's 43.9%.

President Aragonès to Lula: "Catalonia will always be your ally"

In the wake of the election night, Catalan president Pere Aragonès and other representatives for the Catalan left-wing parties welcomed the results. 

"Congratulations, president Lula! I am happy that Brazilian people have decided to open a new era of progress and freedom," he tweeted.

"In the commitment for democracy, against far-right, for social cohesion and equality of opportunities, Catalonia will always be your ally."

Foreign minister Meritxell Serret tweeted a similar message, emphasizing "not to back down facing the far-right."

Left-wing parties: "Horizon of hope in Brazil"

The leader of the opposition, Socialist Salvador Illa, also welcomed the result, saying that "Brazil needs a government that takes care of its people again, above all, those who are most in need." 

"Brazil will be a fairer, more prosperous, and more egalitarian country."

Jéssica Albiach, the leader of left-wing En Comú Podem in the Catalan parliament, said that "Brazil moves on from four years of involution."

"Lula's victory opens a horizon of hope in the country, in Latin America and in the world," she added.

"Lula wins, Brazil wins, hope wins," said in the same vein far-left CUP MP Carles Riera.