Gen Z and WhatsApp fuel Lula's historic Brazil comeback

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won a historic fourth term on October 25, defeating Senator Flavio Bolsonaro with 51.79 percent of valid votes after trailing in the first round three weeks earlier. Analysts credit an unexpected wave of youth mobilization, including street protests and a WhatsApp network with over 10 million participants, for energizing Lula's campaign. The digital effort, known as Lula's Army, far surpassed a similar pro-Bolsonaro group's 2.1 million members. Lula, 80, adopted informal selfie-style videos to connect with younger voters, a shift for a leader once reluctant to use social media. Analysts say online campaigning combined with street demonstrations and social policies drove the comeback, though challenges remain with a right-leaning Congress.