Lula promises 'new era of hope', Amazon protection

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva says the Brazilian people is the real winner of the elections after the electoral authority said he had defeated incumbent Jair Bolsonaro to become the country's next president.

He vowed to reinstate the monitoring of the Amazon, with special interest of illegal mining of minerals, lumber extraction or land clearing for agriculture. His government would promote a sustainable development of the communities that inhabit the forest.

With 99.9% of the votes tallied in the runoff vote, Lula had 50.9% and Bolsonaro 49.1%. It is a stunning return to power for the 77-year-old former president, who led Brazil from 2003-2010.