Lula supporters’ WhatsApp channel helped mobilise voters in Brazil run-off
A WhatsApp channel called Lula’s Army was credited by allies with helping Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva reverse a polling deficit and win Brazil’s presidential election run-off. Led by Congressman André Janones, it organised supporters to circulate campaign videos and hashtags, marking a notable challenge to conservatives’ perceived dominance of online political mobilisation.
The channel grew to 10.8 million followers between the two rounds, using ready-made messages and specific tasks to encourage sharing and voter recruitment. Janones also hosted a 24-hour livestream on the eve of the vote; Lula later thanked him as “our General”. Political scientists cautioned that the channel’s direct effect on votes cannot be measured, and pointed to the combined role of digital campaigning, grassroots activity and changes in Lula’s message.
In short
- Lula’s Army WhatsApp channel reached 10.8 million followers.
- Allies say it helped Lula’s campaign gain momentum.
- Analysts credit both online and grassroots mobilisation.
Explained simply
Brazil elects its president in two rounds if no candidate wins more than half the votes in the first. In 2022, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a former president and leader of the Workers’ Party, faced incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in the run-off.
André Janones, a Workers’ Party congressman, used WhatsApp to organise Lula supporters. The app lets people send messages to large groups, and the channel shared campaign material and encouraged supporters to spread it and contact voters.
The campaign took place amid strong political divisions and widespread use of social media in Brazil. Researchers say online activity was one part of a wider effort that also included in-person campaigning, and its precise effect on votes is difficult to establish.
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Originally published by BBC World as “How ‘Lula’s Army’ WhatsApp chat helped turn Brazil election around”.