After trailing Flávio Bolsonaro in the first round, the incumbent’s team is revising its messaging and seeking to reach voters who stayed home.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is overhauling his campaign communications ahead of the runoff, Reuters reported, citing people close to the campaign. He finished nearly two percentage points — about 2.2 million votes — behind Senator Flávio Bolsonaro in Sunday’s first round. The runoff is set for October 25.
At a meeting in Brasília, Lula’s allies discussed a new communications strategy. According to Reuters’ sources, Lula backed what campaign insiders call a “fear strategy”: warning voters about risks he says a Bolsonaro presidency could pose to popular social programs. Aides say the previous messaging did not reach enough young people and women.
Reuters also reported disagreement over the campaign’s approach. Some Workers’ Party figures say themes such as sovereignty and critical minerals were too difficult to communicate to a broad audience. Raul Rebelo, a business partner of Lula’s social communications minister and a figure involved in campaign messaging, remains in the campaign for now. A more hard-line strategist, Otávio Antunes, is expected to join the national team, Reuters reported, citing two campaign sources.
Lula’s Workers’ Party is seeking support from more than nine million voters who backed candidates eliminated in the first round, while also targeting about 33 million people who abstained. The party attributes the abstention to apathy rather than opposition to Lula. A new social media ad warns that “some losses can’t be undone,” depicting government programs, including a scheme sending doctors to remote areas and pension increases above inflation.
Bolsonaro’s press office did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment. In a recent interview, he pledged to maintain Bolsa Família, Brazil’s flagship cash-transfer program created by Lula, and allow recipients to remain enrolled after finding formal work or starting a business. Campaign coordinator Paulo Okamotto said Lula’s team would build a network of left-leaning influencers for its social media push. Lula, 80, does not carry a phone and often criticises screen culture, but said he would make more videos and give more radio interviews before the runoff.