How a WhatsApp channel called ‘Lula’s Army’ became a force in Brazil election
WhatsApp campaign ‘Lula’s Army’ helped mobilise voters in a closely fought runoff, as Flávio Bolsonaro challenges the outcome and Donald Trump questions the result without evidence.
Former Brazilian presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro, son of the late President Jair Bolsonaro, has announced his rejection of incumbent Luiz Inácio "Lula" da Silva's victory in the recent election runoff. He claims that the decision to extend voting by two hours on Sunday was a "dirty trick" and seeks to annul the election results.
Lula, running for a third term, won the runoff with 51.8% of the vote, while Flávio Bolsonaro received 48.2%. The extension of voting hours caused confusion, as some polling stations had already closed and preliminary results were already being released. The Supreme Court ordered the extension after Lula's Workers' Party requested it due to public transportation problems.
However, Flávio Bolsonaro argues that the order was unjust and breached equality among Brazilians, questioning the ties of the justices to Lula and his desire for an annulment of the election.
Written by urgent.news from Buenos Aires Herald's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 1 other outlet
- Brazil 2026 election: Flávio Bolsonaro rejects Lula’s win, seeks annulment buenosairesherald.com
