Brazil’s Lula Announces Bid for Fourth Presidential Term in 2026
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced Thursday that he will seek re-election for a fourth term in the 2026 elections, during an official visit to Indonesia.
“I’m going to run for a fourth term (…). My term ends at the end of 2026, but I’m already preparing to contest new elections,” Lula said in a speech alongside his Indonesian counterpart, Prabowo Subianto, in Jakarta.
“I’ll turn 80 next Monday, but you can be sure I have the same energy I had when I was 30,” he added.
In recent months, the Brazilian leader — who returned to power in 2023 after two previous terms from 2003 to 2010 — had repeatedly hinted at his intention to seek re-election if his health allowed, though without confirming it outright.
“If, when the time comes to decide, I still have the motivation, physical vigor, and desire that I have today, I have no doubt that I’ll run for president for a fourth term,” he told a local radio station in early October.
In late 2024, Lula underwent emergency surgery to remove a cranial hematoma resulting from a fall.
