Al Jazeera analysis indicates that Brazilian President Lula's unexpected win of a fourth term prevented internal fissures within the BRICS alliance, which could have arisen from his rival Bolsonaro's pro-U.S. stance. Experts believe Lula's victory is crucial for the political continuity of BRICS, as he was one of the alliance's founders and could provide a political basis for promoting local currency trade. Bolsonaro had called for a reconsideration of Brazil's role in BRICS and pledged to keep Brazil's Pix payment system separate from non-Western payment systems to maintain the dollar's dominance.