Dutch PM Rutte joins world leaders congratulating Silva for Brazil election win

Prime Minister Mark Rutte congratulated Lula Da Silva for winning the Brazilian election and becoming the new president of Brazil. The left-wing candidate got 50.9 percent of the votes, just more than the previous president Jair Bolsonaro (49.1 percent), according to Reuters.

“Congratulations to Lula Da Silva on his election victory, and I wish him success as the next president of Brazil,” Rutte said on Twitter. “I look forward to deepening the strong Netherlands-Brazil relations and to working together on global challenges.”

After the election results were in, Lula immediately called for international cooperation on the protection of the Amazon, stressing that the entire world needs the rain forest. He also said he strives for fair world trade instead of trade agreements that “condemn our country to be a perpetual exporter of raw materials,” according to ANP.