Brazilian president mobilizes supporters online ahead of Sunday’s runoff, as a new poll shows the two candidates tied at 50%.
On Thursday, Brazilian President and reelection candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called on the country’s young and elderly people to “defeat” opposition Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro to build a society that “distributes books and culture, not weapons and hate.”
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“Our army is much bigger, full of enthusiasm and heart, where nobody wants to kill anybody,” said the Workers’ Party (PT) candidate during his first digital event of this kind.
Lula spent an hour and a half participating in a livestream on social media alongside lawmaker Andre Janones, who created a public WhatsApp channel in support of the progressive leader called “Lula’s Army.” The channel has already attracted 8.5 million users ahead of Sunday’s presidential runoff.
Shortly before the digital event, polling firm Datafolha released a survey showing both candidates tied at 50% of the valid vote, three days before voters head to the polls.
🚨 PESSOAL, URGENTE!!!
Preparados pra ver a história acontecendo AO VIVO diante dos olhos?!
Vamos encerrar a campanha mais importante da história do Brasil!
Um ato que ficará para sempre marcado na memória das lutas do povo brasileiro! 🇧🇷
É sábado, dia 24, às 14h, na Av.… pic.twitter.com/aslsI3WZPw
— Lula (@LulaOficial) October 22, 2026
The text reads, “Folks, urgent!!! Are you ready to watch history unfold live before your very eyes?! We are bringing the most important campaign in the history of Brazil to a close! It will be an event that remains forever etched in the memory of the Brazilian people’s struggles! Join us this Saturday, the 24th, at 2:00 pm, on Avenida Paulista, in Sao Paulo!”
In the first round of the election, the eldest son of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro won 47% of the vote, two percentage points more than Lula, who appears to have drawn even in the final days of the campaign.
Part of the Brazilian president’s strategy has involved mobilizing his supporters in the streets and on social media, with an emphasis on young people and those over 70. The latter are exempt from voting in a country where voting is mandatory.
Introduced as “Marshal Lula,” the Workers’ Party leader acknowledged feeling “like a fish out of water” during his first livestream, where he listened to accounts from young and elderly people.
“I have to talk with my army; we have a great battle ahead of us,” Lula said, adding that his candidacy represents “democracy,” “the fight against femicide” and a “life focused on health, culture” and education.
Estas eleições serão um divisor de águas para o Brasil. É hora de transformar essa esperança e mobilização das ruas em mais participação e compromissos.
Seguiremos firmes na luta por um país mais justo, com oportunidades para todos e políticas voltadas às necessidades da… pic.twitter.com/TzOkr47RH8
— Lula (@LulaOficial) October 23, 2026
Lula da SIlva’s text reads, “These elections will be a watershed moment for Brazil. It is time to transform this hope and the mobilization seen in the streets into greater participation and concrete commitments. We will remain steadfast in the fight for a fairer country—one with opportunities for all and policies geared toward the needs of the population. Our ‘army’ consists of more than just soldiers; it is driven by reason, motivation, and a cause. And our cause is the best in the world, because it is the Brazilian people. Let us work together to secure another victory!”
“Our army fights to build a harmonious, loving society that builds rather than destroys, that distributes books and culture, not weapons and hate,” said the Workers’ Party leader, who also referred to Sunday’s runoff election as a “war.”
“Brazil cannot fall into the hands of a militiaman,” Lula said, alluding to the Bolsonaro family’s ties to relatives of members of paramilitary groups in Rio de Janeiro.
Lula also recalled that Flavio Bolsonaro had served as the lawyer for a police officer accused of killing a 5-year-old girl during an operation against suspected drug traffickers.
The Workers’ Party also urged those who abstained from voting — who accounted for 21% of voters in the first round, or about 33.5 million Brazilians — to vote for Lula on Sunday.
“You who did not go to vote because you didn’t like the candidates or because you are over 70, that is your right; but not now. Now you have to think about Brazil, about your homeland,” he said.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
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