Politics · Brazil · 17 hrs ago
The Economist profiles André Janones as a digital campaign strategist
British magazine The Economist profiled Brazilian deputy André Janones as a digital campaign strategist for the left.
His WhatsApp channel, called “Exército do Lula,” gained more than 10 million followers in the three weeks before the election runoff.
Janones’s supporters were told to like and comment on posts before sharing them, and not to reply to false claims about Lula, which could spread them further.
The magazine said the channel helped mobilise voters for Lula, but also pointed to changes in Lula’s communication and policy proposals.
A University of Virginia researcher described the channel as a machine for getting people to vote.
The approach has drawn interest abroad, with similar groups emerging and guides circulating in French and Japanese.
Janones says the strategy can be replicated, though he acknowledged discomfort with asking supporters to ignore opposing posts and said he saw it as a wartime strategy.
The Economist profiled Brazilian lawmaker André Janones and his role in digital campaigning for the left.
The magazine described him as a “hero” of the Brazilian left and asked whether politicians elsewhere could reproduce his campaigns.
Janones’s WhatsApp channel, “Lula’s Army,” gained more than 10 million followers in the three weeks before the second round.
Janones said his strategy sought to influence algorithms and limit the spread of false information about Lula.
The magazine also cited changes in Lula’s communication, a six-day workweek policy issue and federal debt relief for small businesses as factors in the victory.
- Who
- The Economist profiled André Janones, a Brazilian lawmaker from Rede-MG.
- What
- The profile examined his digital campaign strategy and the “Lula’s Army” WhatsApp channel.
- When
- The Economist published the profile during the week of November 9, 2026.
- Where
- The campaign was in Brazil; the article also mentioned interest in the strategy in Spain, Mexico and other countries.
- Why
- The magazine examined whether Janones’s digital campaign methods could be reproduced by politicians in other countries.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The “Lula’s Army” WhatsApp channel gained more than 10 million followers.
Lula thanked Janones for his role in the campaign.
The Economist published its profile of Janones.
- WhatsApp channel
- Lula’s Army
- Followers gained
- More than 10 million in the three weeks before the second round
- Profiled lawmaker
- André Janones of Rede-MG
- Named international leaders
- Pedro Sánchez and Claudia Sheinbaum
- Article publication
- Week of November 9, 2026
What people are saying
It is replicable and I think it is necessary.
My strategy is war.
A turnout machine.
Our general, who played an exponential role in this campaign.