Politics · Brazil · 1 hr ago
Lula wins re-election as Janones's WhatsApp channel mobilizes supporters
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won re-election, defeating Senator Flávio Bolsonaro by about 4.5 million votes.
Federal deputy André Janones, from Minas Gerais, created the WhatsApp channel “Lula’s Army” to mobilize Lula supporters online.
After Lula trailed Bolsonaro in the first round, Janones urged members to share pro-Lula posts and invite others to join.
The channel passed 10 million followers during the runoff campaign, becoming a major digital organizing tool.
Electoral authorities questioned its potential reach, and the channel was taken down twice by Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court; its technical staff said they found no false content but warned of the risk of rapid spread before voting.
Janones has faced legal cases, including an ongoing insult case, and has previously acknowledged manipulating information in the 2022 election.
At his victory speech in São Paulo, Lula thanked Janones and said digital communication would have an important role in his new government.
André Janones’s WhatsApp channel “Exército do Lula” grew to more than 10 million followers during Brazil’s 2026 election campaign.
The channel was used to mobilize supporters of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and encourage them to share campaign content and invite new members.
It grew rapidly after Lula trailed Flávio Bolsonaro in the first round.
Lula won re-election on October 25, and thanked Janones during his victory speech.
The channel faced legal challenges from Bolsonaro’s campaign, and Brazil’s electoral court twice took it offline.
- Who
- Federal deputy André Janones created and ran the channel to mobilize Lula supporters.
- What
- Exército do Lula,” a WhatsApp channel, grew to more than 10 million followers during the campaign.
- When
- During the 2026 campaign’s final three weeks; it reached 10 million on October 23.
- Where
- On WhatsApp in Brazil.
- Why
- To mobilize Lula supporters online and increase the circulation of content favorable to him.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Janones urged the channel’s 60,000 members to bring in three people each; the channel grew to 1 million that day.
With about 2.5 million followers, Janones said the channel would not spread fake news during the campaign.
The channel reached 10 million followers.
Lula won re-election and thanked Janones during his victory speech in São Paulo.
- Channel
- Exército do Lula
- Followers on October 6
- 60,000, rising to 1 million that day
- Followers on October 23
- 10 million
- Creator
- André Janones, federal deputy for Minas Gerais
- Election winner
- Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
- Lula’s opponent
- Flávio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party (PL)
3 sources
What people are saying
I know the way. It’s as if I were a commander of an army who knows where the troops have to go to win, but I can’t turn an election around with 60,000 people.
This channel will not spread a single piece of fake news until the end of the campaign! Those who have the facts don’t need lies!