New Delhi, Nov. 12 -- At the age of 80, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva pulled off a comeback through the runoff victory on October 25. This lands as a genuine shock, as Lula lost the first round to the right-wing Flavio Bolsonaro by a margin of win million votes and then came back to retain his presidency. No one who lost the first round had achieved this turnaround since Brazil's return to direct presidential elections in 1989. Brazil's voters, especially the young Brazilian voters, pushed back against the anti-incumbent mood that has previously toppled several left-leaning governments across Latin America.

This domestic surprise carries clear consequences for international politics as well. A win for Flavio Bolsonaro would have pulled Latin...