How Lula's Army WhatsApp channel helped Brazil's president win re-election

bbc.co.uk —

Brazil's left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won re-election after trailing right-wing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro, with allies crediting a WhatsApp channel called "Lula's Army" for helping fuel the comeback. The channel, led by Congressman André Janones, grew to 10.8 million followers in three weeks, encouraging supporters to share videos, promote hashtags, and recruit voters through assigned tasks and urgent instructions. Political scientists caution that online mobilization alone cannot explain the turnaround, noting a combination of digital campaigning and grassroots street-level efforts reduced abstention and persuaded undecided voters.


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