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Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced on Thursday that he intends to seek a fourth term in the 2026 election, declaring that he still possesses the vigour to lead despite turning 80 next week.
“I’m about to turn 80 years old, but you can be sure I have the same energy I had when I was 30. And I will run for a fourth term in Brazil,” Lula said during a joint press conference with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta.
The Brazilian leader is on a state visit to Indonesia, aiming to strengthen diplomatic and economic relations with the Southeast Asian nation, which Brazil views as a fellow emerging power with shared global ambitions. “I’m telling you this because we’re still going to see each other many times,” Lula told his counterpart.
While Lula had previously hinted at the possibility of another presidential bid, this marks his first clear confirmation of his intentions. His announcement follows a period of speculation after undergoing emergency surgery in December to stop a brain bleed caused by a fall two months earlier.
Lula first led Brazil between 2003 and 2010, overseeing a period of rapid economic growth and major social programmes that lifted millions out of poverty. However, his political career took a dramatic turn when he was imprisoned for corruption in 2018, in a case that was later overturned, paving the way for his return to power.
In 2022, Lula made a remarkable comeback by narrowly defeating right-wing incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in one of Brazil’s most polarising elections. That contest deepened political divisions and sparked unrest, culminating in Bolsonaro’s failed coup attempt following his defeat.
Brazil’s Supreme Court this week formally published Bolsonaro’s 27-year prison sentence for his role in the coup attempt, triggering a five-day window for his legal team to appeal. With Bolsonaro under house arrest and barred from running, the country’s conservative bloc currently lacks a unifying figure ahead of next year’s elections.
