Presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro gestures onstage during the official launch of his campaign at the Liberal Party’s National Convention in São Paulo, July 25, 2026. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the leftist incumbent, and Flávio Bolsonaro, the right-wing challenger, face off in a race that could define the future of Latin America. (Victor Moriyama/The New York Times) By ANA IONOVA and ADAM B. ELLICK A surprise victory for a right-wing populist embroiled in scandal. Crushing defeat for a…
