Leftist former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has won Brazil's bitterly-fought election, denying far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro a second term.
Mr da Silva, universally known as Lula, called for "peace and unity" after winning the election on Sunday night, Brazil time.
With 98.8 per cent of the votes tallied in the runoff vote, Mr da Silva had 50.8 per cent and Mr Bolsonaro 49.2 per cent. Brazil's election authority said Mr da Silva's victory was a mathematical certainty.
"Today the only winner is the Brazilian people," the 77-year-old told supporters at a hotel in downtown Sao Paulo.
"This isn't a victory of mine or the Workers' Party, nor the parties that supported me in [the] campaign.
"It's the victory of a democratic movement that formed above political parties, personal interests and ideologies so that democracy came out victorious."
Mr Bolsonaro, 67, was silent in the hours after the result was declared.
"Anywhere in the world, the losing president would already have called to admit defeat. He hasn't called yet, I don't know if he will call and concede," Mr da Silva told a large crowd at the hotel.
With no word from Mr Bolsonaro, some of his key allies appeared in public to accept the results, including the speaker of the lower house of Congress, Arthur Lira, who said it was time to "extend a hand to our adversaries, debate, build bridges".
Mr da Silva served as president for two terms between 2003 and 2010, but was jailed on corruption charges in 2017.
He was released in 2019, with all convictions being annulled last year.
Mr Bolsonaro had been leading throughout the first half of the count and, as soon as Mr da Silva overtook him, drivers in the streets of downtown Sao Paulo began honking their car horns.
People gathered in Rio de Janeiro's Ipanema neighbourhood could be heard shouting "it turned".
Most opinion polls before the election gave a lead to Mr da Silva though political analysts agreed the race grew increasingly tight in recent weeks.
For months, it appeared that Mr da Silva was headed for easy victory as he kindled nostalgia for his presidency, when the economy was booming and welfare helped millions join the middle class.
His victory marks the first time since Brazil’s 1985 return to democracy that the sitting president has failed to win re-election.
The two candidates had diametrically opposed visions for Brazil.
Mr Bolsonaro had promised to continue the right-wing policies of his government, while Mr da Silva promised a return to the socialist policies implemented in his previous terms.
Mr Bolsonaro had previously indicated he may not accept the results of the election if he lost.
World leaders congratulated Mr da Silva on his victory.
US President Joe Biden said he'd won in "free, fair and credible" elections.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the two leaders would "renew ties of friendship between their countries".
ABC/wires
