Lula's Fourth Term Secured by Elderly Voters and Youth Mobilization
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won a historic fourth term as Brazil's president after losing the first round, propelled by over a million elderly voters and massive digital and street mobilization.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva secured a historic fourth term as Brazil's president, overcoming a first-round loss. His 2022 victory, with 51.79% of the vote, was sealed by over 1 million elderly voters who participated in the decisive second round after skipping the first, contributing to a total of 10.3 million extra votes cast. Lula, who previously served from 2003 to 2011, will now govern from 2023 to 2026.
Voter mobilization and digital engagement
Election experts point to a combination of expanded welfare benefits, a colossal WhatsApp network, and youth-led street protests as the engines of Lula's win. The campaign's WhatsApp groups ballooned from 50,000 to nearly 11 million members. Meanwhile, student-led protests galvanized public support. Of the 3 million extra voters in the second round, 1.4 million were over 70 years old. Many who backed Lula in the runoff had previously voted for Bolsonaro's rightwing adversaries in the first round as a protest against Lula's Worker's Party. Voting is mandatory in Brazil for those aged 18 to 69.
Political context and legacy
Lula's return follows the controversial presidency of Jair Bolsonaro, who is now serving a 27-year sentence for plotting to seize power after losing the 2022 election. Bolsonaro's son, Flávio Bolsonaro, fled Brazil for the United States after the vote. The elder Bolsonaro is under house arrest after being convicted of attempting a coup d'état. This week, Brazil published the world’s first global roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels.
Environmental and social policy shifts
Lula's administration has prioritized reversing the environmental policies of his predecessor. His government achieved a 70% reduction in the yearly deforestation rate of the Amazon rainforest. Deforestation rates in 2025 reached the lowest level since satellite monitoring began in 1988. Key initiatives included establishing a Ministry of Indigenous Peoples and launching the Tropical Forest Forever Facility, a global blended finance conservation initiative. The government also reactivated a suite of funds and plans to support Amazon conservation and sustainable development.
Just one day after the election, the Dutch government announced a US$500 million investment for the TFFF. Indigenous groups expressed profound relief at Lula's victory, recalling persecution and violence during Jair Bolsonaro's presidency, though some communities faced post-election attacks linked to illegal loggers and miners. The Brazilian government quickly deployed national forces to protect Indigenous territories, a measure made possible by Lula's presidency. Simone Tebet remarked on the coalition that secured the win: "It is possible to resist fascism, all you need to do is mobilise society. Young people hit the streets and golden-agers saved our democracy." Lula's inauguration in January 2023 began his fourth term as president.
