South America

Far-Right Candidate Bolsonaro Wins Brazilian Presidential Election

Heading into the election, polls showed Jair Bolsonaro held a 12 point lead over his opponent, Fernando Haddad.

Far-Right Candidate Bolsonaro Wins Brazilian Presidential Election
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Far-right Brazilian candidate Jair Bolsonaro has won the country's presidential election in a runoff vote on Sunday. 

Bolsonaro won 55.2 percent of the vote and opponent Fernando Haddad got 44.8 percent. 

While Bolsonaro didn't receive enough support in the first round of voting to avoid the runoff, a poll published Thursday had the far-right candidate 12 points ahead of Haddad.  

In the weeks since the first round of voting, the country has seen an increasing incidence of political violence, reportedly driven largely by Bolsonaro supporters, who have threatened supreme court justices and journalists. 

In the past, Bolsonaro has praised the military dictatorship that governed Brazil from the mid-1960s through the mid '80s. Haddad has alleged Bolsonaro is a threat to Brazilian democracy, something Bolsonaro denies

Nevertheless, Bolsonaro, a former Army captain, has pledged to appoint generals to several positions in his cabinet, and some Brazilians fear he could bring back military rule.

Additional reporting by Newsy affiliate CNN.