After the closest Brazilian election in generations, president Dilma Rousseff was re-elected by a narrow margin on Sunday, ensuring that Latin America’s biggest nation will remain under the control of a Workers party (PT) committed to tackling inequality.

Rousseff won 51.6% of the valid votes cast to secure a much reduced mandate, having fought off a strong challenge by pro-business challenger Aécio Neves.

“This is good for Brazil,” said one campaigner, Vinicius Barchilon. “Dilma has done a lot for the poor and we have a government that is determined to tackle inequality.”

Nonetheless, the 143 million eligible voters appear to have carried out their electoral duties peacefully – if not enthusiastically. Although voting is mandatory, more than 29 million abstained and about 7 million votes were blank or nullified.

Rousseff, a marxist guerrilla during her student years, has pledged to build on her government’s success in reducing inequality. Over the 12 years of Workers party rule, almost 40 million people – or a fifth of the population – have moved out of poverty.