{
  "id": 16757918,
  "title": "Brazilian lawmaker Andre Janones, Lula's social media 'general'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/27/brazilian-lawmaker-andre-janones-lulas-social-media-general",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-27T14:49:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Buenos Aires Times",
    "slug": "buenos-aires-times",
    "url": "https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/latin-america/brazilian-lawmaker-andre-janones-lulas-social-media-general.phtml"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the first victory speech of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, he honored Andre Janones, the mastermind behind the online campaign that propelled him to victory. The 42-year-old lawmaker, clad in a national football jersey, embraced Lula on stage in triumph. Janones was tasked with the seemingly daunting mission to turn the tide in Lula's favor, as the left struggled after the unexpected lead of right-wing candidate Flávio Bolsonaro. No Brazilian presidential candidate had regained the runoff after losing the first round since 1989, the first direct election following the country's military dictatorship. To counter the strong online influence of the political right, Janones established the Lula's Army WhatsApp channel in April. The channel's membership surged from 60,000 to nearly 11 million between the first round on October 4 and the runoff on Sunday. Each motivational video posted by Janones had the energy of a battle cry, urging followers to spread Lula's anti-Bolsonaro message. Lula, who promised to buy his first mobile phone if Janones' army reached 5 million followers, was present when the president unboxed his new device. \"Our army now has a general... It will be the largest democratic army in the world,\" Janones declared. Lula acknowledged Janones' pivotal role in the campaign, praising his unwavering support. After securing 51.8 percent of the vote, Janones rejoined Lula on São Paulo's Paulista Avenue, rallying a throng of supporters. \"Raise your hand, soldiers of Lula's Army!\" he urged. For a young voter, Sofia Vaz, Janones' fiery rhetoric was both exhilarating and intimidating. \"He ordered us to blow things up and we did what he asked,\" she admitted. The lawmaker, who grew up in a modest family in Minas Gerais, credits Lula's social policies for his success, having benefited from a scholarship. Despite suffering a cardiac arrhythmia during the campaign, Janones recovered and alleged that his army was being censored. Brazil's electoral court temporarily suspended the channel twice, but the lawmaker remained a vocal advocate. \"He's going to be the minister of defence,\" one young woman quipped during São Paulo's jubilant celebrations.",
  "summary": "Lula's \"general\" Andre Janones was the brains behind the online campaign that ensured his stunning comeback. Leer más",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}