Switzerland’s foreign minister and current president, Ignazio Cassis, congratulated Lula in a written letter, the foreign ministry confirmed on Monday.
Several Swiss political parties also took to social media to celebrate leftist Lula’s tight success and the end of Jair Bolsonaro’s rightwing presidency.
The left-wing Social Democratic Party tweeted that the result is a “victory for democracy, more social justice and climate protection”, while the Green Party spoke of an “election victory that gives hope – for democracy, human rights, and global climate protection”.
Rainforest concerns
“There is now hope that the situation will improve for the indigenous communities [in Brazil] and the protection of the environment,” stated Julia Büsser, campaign manager for the NGO Society for Threatened Peoples.
Under Bolsonaro’s tenure, destruction of the Amazon rain forest increased along with deaths of many indigenous people who live there, the NGO said.
For its part, Greenpeace said it welcomed the election result but pointed out that Bolsonaro’s party still had control of Brazil’s Congress.
Lula’s return to power carries the hopes of many people that environmental destruction will slow in Brazil.
The presidential election campaign was contentious and frequently violent. In Switzerland, supporters of both factions had to be separated by police while demonstrating in favour of their preferred candidate.
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Brazil elections: Police split up supporters in Geneva
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Geneva police had to intervene on Sunday to separate supporters of right-wing Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and his leftist rival Lula.
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17 years ago, Bruno Manser, a Swiss campaigner for the rights of the Penan nomads of Sarawak, Malaysia, disappeared without a trace.
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Two dead after glider crash in southern Switzerland
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Two people died after their glider crashed in canton Valais on Friday afternoon. The police said the victims were Swiss nationals, aged 72 and 46, who had apparently taken off from canton Aargau.
Scientists alarmed by poor state of biodiversity in Switzerland
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Over 100 researchers have sounded the alarm over the state of biodiversity in Switzerland stating that "rapid and effective" measures are needed to strengthen its protection.
Nestle Chair says CEO change was prompted by growth concerns
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The abrupt replacement of Nestle SA’s chief executive officer was prompted by worries over the food and beverage company’s growth outlook, Nestlé Chair Paul Bulcke told Swiss newspaper Le Temps.
Four out of five donor hearts for Swiss children come from abroad
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Four out of five donor hearts which are transplanted into Swiss children come from outside the Alpine country, according to the director of Swisstransplant.
Climber dies on the Matterhorn in southern Switzerland
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A climber died on Thursday after falling with a partner while descending the Matterhorn, near Zermatt, in southern Switzerland. The other mountaineer suffered minor injuries.
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The Dalai Lama has arrived in Switzerland for a short visit. Hundreds of Tibetans welcomed him at an airport hotel in Opfikon, near Zurich, on Friday.
Sudan: Swiss among mediators calling for continuous flow of aid
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The seven parties, including Switzerland, who led ten days of talks on Sudan in the Geneva region, are calling for the new flow of aid to “continue and accelerate”.
Coo d’état: Basel struggles to enforce pigeon-feeding ban
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Police in the Swiss canton of Basel City have issued only eight fines since the ban on pigeon feeding came into force in July 2020.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
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Brazil elections: Police split up supporters in Geneva
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Geneva police had to intervene on Sunday to separate supporters of right-wing Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and his leftist rival Lula.
This content was published on
Why the upcoming presidential elections in Brazil are crucial for Switzerland, which wants to ratify a free trade agreement.
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“The measures issued by the Committee are not recommendations. They are legally binding and impose an international legal obligation on Brazil to comply,” Sarah ClevelandExternal link, author of the committee’s final text, told swissinfo.ch on Wednesday. The Geneva-based panel of independent experts last week requested that the Brazilian government allow the imprisoned former president, known…
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.