Former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has won Brazil’s presidential election, defeating incumbent Jair Bolsonaro.

On Sunday, Mr da Silva defeated far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in the runoff election after attaining 50.9 per cent of the vote, according to the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE). The official count stood at 50.9 per cent of votes for Mr da Silva against 49.3 per cent for Mr Bolsonaro.

Mr da Silva, who had been jailed for 18 months over a corruption conviction that was later thrown out, called for “peace and unity” in his victory speech, saying he would represent all Brazilians. 

“Today, the only winner is the Brazilian people,” da Silva told the crowds gathered at a Sao Paulo hotel. “This isn’t a victory of mine or the Workers’ Party, nor the parties that supported me in campaign,” he said. “It’s the victory of a democratic movement that formed above political parties, personal interests and ideologies so that democracy came out victorious.”

United States President Joe Biden congratulated Mr da Silva for winning the “free, fair and credible” presidential election against Bolsonaro.

“I send my congratulations to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on his election to be the next president of Brazil following free, fair, and credible elections,” Mr Biden said in a statement. “I look forward to working together to continue the cooperation between our two countries in the months and years ahead,” he added.

“Congratulations, dear @LulaOficial, for your election which opens a new page in the history of Brazil. Together, we will join forces to meet the many common challenges and renew the bond of friendship between our two countries,” France’s Emmanuel Macron tweeted. 

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he looked forward to working with Mr da Silva “to strengthen the partnership between our countries” and “to advance shared priorities — like protecting the environment.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin also offered his congratulations.

“Please accept my sincere congratulations… the election results have confirmed your impressive political authority,” Mr Putin said. “I hope that through joint efforts we will pursue the development of constructive Russo-Brazilian cooperation in all areas.”