WhatsApp Campaign Group Credited With Boosting Lula's Election Comeback

As election polls in Brazil suggested a potential defeat for Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a surge in participation in a WhatsApp group known as 'Lula's Army' is being credited by some allies with helping to galvanize support and turn the election around. The digital campaign's success highlights the growing influence of social media in Brazilian politics, a trend notably amplified by Jair Bolsonaro's 2018 election victory where WhatsApp networks played a pivotal role.

The 'Lula's Army' operation, spearheaded by Congressman André Janones, provided supporters with ready-made message templates and assigned specific tasks aimed at increasing Lula's visibility across social platforms. Instructions often urged followers to "blow up" campaign videos or help new hashtags gain traction, with messages like "Guys, urgent!" and "No food before the mission!" becoming common.

Janones also organized a 24-hour live event, dubbed the "turnaround livestream," on the eve of the election, even as polls indicated Bolsonaro was likely to win. Despite some within Lula's Workers' Party expressing concerns that Janones's assertive online approach might conflict with the party's desired moderate image for Lula, the tactic appears to have been effective.

In his victory speech, Lula referred to Janones as "our General" and thanked him for consistently boosting the morale of their supporters. "The election taught me many lessons," Lula stated, pledging to increase public input in decision-making and integrate digital communication more significantly into his government.

However, the precise electoral impact of online mobilization remains difficult to quantify. Political scientists caution that it is challenging to determine how many votes, if any, were directly influenced by the WhatsApp operation. Denilde Holzhacker, a political scientist, suggests that a broader shift in Lula's campaign strategy was crucial. She argues that the campaign successfully merged digital efforts with grassroots mobilization, intensifying local engagement and adapting its messaging to address concerns about potential changes to social programs and the loss of rights under a Bolsonaro presidency.

Holzhacker noted that Lula's recognition of his campaign's weaknesses and subsequent stylistic changes were key. She also observed that while Lula's campaign effectively dominated social media, Flávio Bolsonaro entered the runoff phase seemingly overconfident and less effective in communicating his message.

Sociologist and political scientist Mayra Goulart concurred that the comeback was a result of combined social media and street-level mobilization. She emphasized that the physical engagement of supporters was instrumental in reducing abstention and persuading undecided voters. Goulart believes that the collective effort not only helped increase turnout but also provided valuable experience for Lula's upcoming administration, preparing it for future challenges. The mobilization, in her view, successfully converted undecided voters and fostered a sense of shared purpose that could benefit the government moving forward.