Lula defies age, critics with surprise bid for a fourth term in Brazil
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s president has declared he will run for re-election next year, setting up what could be another defining contest in Latin America’s largest democracy.
Speaking during a state visit to Indonesia on Thursday, Lula brushed off concerns about age or fatigue, saying he still felt as driven as ever.
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“I’m turning 80, but you can be sure I have the same energy I had when I was 30,” he told reporters at a joint news conference with Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto. “And I’m going to run for a fourth term in Brazil.”
The announcement ends months of speculation over whether the veteran leftist would seek another mandate. Brazil’s constitution limits presidents to two consecutive terms, but Lula who governed from 2003 to 2010 before returning to power in 2023 remains eligible for another run.
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Now the country’s longest-serving president since its return to democracy forty years ago, Lula appears intent on extending his political legacy. His remarks came during a tour of Asia that will also take him to Malaysia for the ASEAN summit, where he is expected to meet United States president Donald Trump for the first time since the latter’s return to office.
That encounter, scheduled for Sunday, will likely focus on the 50 percent tariff Washington imposed on Brazilian exports in August a move that reignited nationalist sentiment at home and, paradoxically, boosted Lula’s approval ratings.
Lula had previously signalled that his 2022 campaign would be his last, citing his age and the need for political renewal. But by early 2023, he was already hinting at another run, saying any decision would depend on Brazil’s political climate and his health.
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For now, the political landscape seems to favour him. Opinion polls put Lula ahead of all potential rivals, though around half of voters say they disapprove of his government’s performance. His most formidable opponent, former president Jair Bolsonaro, has been barred from running after being convicted of attempting to subvert the 2022 election. Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest, and analysts say any credible challenger will likely need his backing to mount a serious campaign.
