How the streets and social media drove Lula to a historic comeback in Brazil

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has secured a fourth term in office, achieving a significant political comeback after initially losing the first round of the presidential election to right-wing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro. The victory marks a dramatic reversal for the veteran leftist incumbent, who had previously expressed confusion to allies about why he finished second, believing his administration to be the strongest of his three prior terms. Following the initial defeat, a mood of dismay spread across the left, yet analysts had predicted that the nine million voters who supported other right-wing candidates would largely transfer their support to Bolsonaro, making the final outcome a surprising shift in momentum.

The turnaround was driven by a combination of street activism and digital mobilization. Student-led protests and a viral WhatsApp channel played pivotal roles in galvanizing Lula’s base and shifting public opinion. This grassroots energy helped the leftist president hold off the far-right challenge, turning an unexpected first-round loss into a historic electoral victory. While the sources agree on the final result and the key factors of social media and protests, they differ slightly in emphasis, with some highlighting the "dramatic" nature of the comeback and others focusing on the specific mechanisms of voter mobilization. The consensus, however, remains that Lula’s victory was a stunning reversal of the initial electoral trajectory.

Compiled from: The Guardian · BBC News · Al Jazeera

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