Brazil’s Workers’ Party Confirms Lula for Fourth Term Bid
SAO PAULO — Brazil’s Workers’ Party (PT) officially confirmed incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as its presidential candidate at its national convention on Sunday, formally launching what is likely to be the 80-year-old leader’s final campaign for the country’s highest office. The convention, held at the Expo Center Norte in São Paulo, also approved Vice President Geraldo Alckmin as Lula’s running mate, repeating the ticket that won the 2022 election, according to People’s Daily.
The confirmation marks Lula’s seventh race for the presidency and sets the stage for an October election that AP News describes as taking place amid increasing pressure from foreign leaders and concerns over potential interference in Brazil’s electoral process.
A Historic Fourth Term Bid
Lula, who previously served as president from 2003 to 2011 and returned to office in 2023, is seeking an unprecedented fourth term. If elected, he would reach 16 years as president, second only to Getúlio Vargas in Brazilian history, and would become the oldest president in the country’s history at age 81.
According to Agência Brasil, the PT will have PSB, PCdoB, PV, PDT, PSOL, and Rede as allies in the 2026 presidential election. PT party president Edinho Silva announced that the party has completed its candidate registration with the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), as China.org.cn also confirmed.
Under Brazilian electoral rules, parties must confirm candidates by August 5, complete official registration by August 15, and the official election campaign begins on August 16. The first round of the general election will be held on October 4, with a possible runoff on October 25.
Five Commitments for a Fourth Term
In his convention speech, which lasted more than an hour, Lula announced five commitments for a potential fourth term: resolving the role of education in the country, creating a program for the elderly, strengthening the military and defense industry, protecting Brazil’s rare earth minerals, and programs for energy transition. “We can proudly demonstrate to people everywhere what the federal government has accomplished,” Lula said.
“I’m a candidate for the fourth time to definitively resolve the role of education in the country,” Lula said, as reported by G1/Globo.
On the defense industry, Lula was emphatic: “I want to ask the left to stop this nonsense of thinking we don’t need to worry about defense. I want to be prepared so that no one invades this country to take the president, so that no one dares to mess with us. We need to invest in the defense industry.”
His most pointed remarks came on the subject of Brazil’s rare earth minerals, where he asserted national sovereignty: “I’m going to take this rare earth and critical minerals business seriously. This is the patrimony of the Brazilian people, and it’s the Brazilian people who should profit from it. Neither Chinese, nor American, nor French will stick their fingers in our rare earths.”
Lula also addressed the political establishment directly, saying, “My fourth presidency is to change a lot of things. There will be a fight with parliamentary amendments,” and criticized the current party funding model, stating, “This party fund business doesn’t please me, it’s leading parties to promiscuity.”
Foreign Interference Concerns Dominate
The election campaign is unfolding against a backdrop of unprecedented foreign involvement in Brazil’s political affairs. Lula’s main rival, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, has enjoyed open support from members of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, Argentina’s President Javier Milei, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Argentina’s Milei attended Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party convention on July 25 and sparked a diplomatic crisis when he insulted Lula and the Supreme Court justice who oversaw the elder Bolsonaro’s trial. Netanyahu recorded a video in support of Lula’s adversary, and the Trump administration has imposed new tariffs on Brazilian exports and changed the designation of two local criminal groups to terrorist organizations.
Workers’ Party politicians have expressed worries about foreign-sponsored threats of coordinated automated bot campaigns and social media manipulation designed to influence voters and undermine trust in Brazil’s electronic voting system. Brazil’s foreign ministry denied visas to two U.S. Department of State officials in July, reportedly due to fears they sought to undermine trust in the voting system.
“This election in Brazil determines the future of Latin America,” Edinho Silva said during the convention, noting that Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia have all elected Trump-inspired presidents in recent years.
Vice President Alckmin defended Brazil’s electoral integrity with characteristic wit, saying the country’s electronic voting system “is so good that it doesn’t take votes from Argentines and Americans,” in a reference to Milei and Trump.
A Polarized Political Landscape
The election represents a rematch of sorts between the Lula/PT coalition and the Bolsonaro political dynasty. Flávio Bolsonaro carries his father’s far-right movement after former President Jair Bolsonaro was barred from running until 2030 and imprisoned for plotting a coup.
Lula has managed to draw centrist parties away from his right-wing adversary and arrives at his party’s convention with higher popularity in the polls than six months ago. His campaign is boosting changes to Brazil’s income tax system that charge less to people on low incomes, along with a debt forgiveness program that has quickly become very popular.
However, Lula begins his campaign amid investigations into his eldest son, Fábio Luís Lula da Silva, for alleged influence peddling and corruption. Supreme Federal Court minister André Mendonça authorized two inquiries on July 31. Lula’s lawyer called the investigations an attempt to interfere in the electoral process.
Other candidates in the race include Ronaldo Caiado (PSD), Romeu Zema (NOVO), and Renan Santos (Missão), though the contest is widely seen as a two-person race between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro.
What’s Next
With the PT convention complete, all major candidates have now been formally confirmed. The official campaign period begins on August 16, with the first round of voting scheduled for October 4. A runoff, if needed, would take place on October 25.
As Lula said in his convention speech, dismissing early polling: “No need to worry about polls. Whether they’re good or not, the war hasn’t started, the championship hasn’t started.”
For observers of Latin American politics, the coming weeks will reveal whether Lula can translate his coalition’s momentum into a decisive victory, or whether the forces aligned behind his rival — both domestic and international — can mount a serious challenge to the incumbent’s bid for a historic fourth term.