From Scroll · Laura Erber · · 1m 50s
Lula's Army Beats Social Media Algorithms
Brazil's Lula wins runoff election with help from WhatsApp army and social media tactics.
In brief
Brazil's Lula wins runoff election with help from WhatsApp army and social media tactics. Lula da Silva wins Brazilian presidential runoff with 51.7% of votes after social media campaigns by his supporters. Originally reported by Scroll.
First Round Results
Flavio Bolsonaro won 47.03% of votes in first round, Lula da Silva got 45.16%.
Student Marches
Thousands of students marched in Rio demanding Lula's victory and education reforms.
Bolsa Família Impact
Bolsa Família program helps 11 million families with monthly cash for education and health.
WhatsApp Campaign
Lula's WhatsApp channel grew from 50,000 to over ten million followers in three weeks.
Social Media Tactics
Lula supporters used AI to create fake football shirts, confusing social media algorithms.
Militias and Police
Police officers and militias supported Lula, opposing Bolsonaro's far-right government.
Indigenous Communities
Indigenous communities voted in large numbers to protect their lands from agribusiness.
Runoff Election
Lula won runoff with 51.7% of votes after abstention dropped from 21.08% to 19.21%.
Lula's Victory
Lula da Silva wins presidential election with 51.7% of votes after social media campaigns.
Social Media Algorithms
Social media platforms treated Lula's campaign differently from Bolsonaro's.
Bolsonaro's Party
Bolsonaro's Liberal Party won 121 seats in Chamber of Deputies, largest bloc since 1988.
Lula's Army
Lula's supporters created a network of over ten million people using social media.
Bolsa Família Details
Bolsa Família program pays 13,000 rupees monthly to 84% of mothers in low-income families.
Indigenous Vote
Indigenous communities voted in red to protect their lands from Bolsonaro's government.
Health Workers
Health workers reminded voters about public health system after Bolsonaro's pandemic.
Lula's Victory Speech
Lula said WhatsApp army must not disband to keep social programs.
The main idea
Lula da Silva wins Brazilian presidential runoff with 51.7% of votes after social media campaigns by his supporters.
