Who is André Janones? The man behind Lula’s Army WhatsApp channel and how he turned it into an election tool in Brazil

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won reelection after finishing second in the first round. Analysts credited the turnaround to lawmaker André Janones’s intensive digital campaign, which used WhatsApp, viral videos, hashtags, and livestreams to boost Lula’s online reach.

On Sunday, Brazil’s incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won the presidential runoff election, making him the President of the South American country for the fourth time. The leftist leader who finished second in the first round of presidential elections on October 4 with 45.16% of the vote, while Flávio Bolsonaro was the clear winner with 47.03% of voters choosing him.

But little over 20 days later, the 80-year-old was able to flip the script and retain his post, against all odds. Lula’s win was decisive, with more than 64 million votes compared to just under 60 million for Bolsonaro, a margin of nearly 4%.

How digital outreach helped Lula

According to the Associated Press, analysts credit this turnaround to the additional 14.1 million voters who showed up for the second-round election, including those who voted for other candidates in the first round.

Quick answers to key questions

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QUESTIONS

“Lula’s Army” was a WhatsApp channel created to mobilize supporters of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. It grew to nearly 11 million followers.

André Janones is a Federal Deputy for Minas Gerais. He led Lula’s Army and coordinated online mobilization for Lula’s campaign.

The channel shared pre-written messages for supporters to forward, along with tasks such as amplifying campaign videos and promoting hashtags. It also urged supporters to recruit voters and increase Lula’s visibility online.

Its online mobilization helped Lula’s campaign reach supporters and previously uncommitted voters between the two rounds. The channel’s rapid growth also helped the campaign compete in digital spaces where Bolsonaro’s supporters had been seen as having an advantage.

Janones hosted a 24-hour livestream called the “turnaround livestream.” It was part of the campaign’s round-the-clock digital effort to mobilize Lula’s supporters.

Many also pointed out how one man, lawmaker André Janones, turned the tables for Lula. Janones is said to be the brain behind Lula’s digital campaign, which mounted a fierce and persistent social media operation that mobilized many of those previously uncommitted voters.

Who is André Janones

Janones' key tool was a WhatsApp channel called “Lula's Army,” which gathered almost 11 million people and mobilized them to campaign via social media for the incumbent.

Janones, who serves as a Federal Deputy for the state of Minas Gerais, is widely recognized as the digital "General" behind the massive social media and mobilization campaigns for Lula.

According to BBC Brazil, his round-the-clock digital mobilization, which utilized viral videos, hashtags, and a 24-hour livestream on the eve of the runoff, helped counter the strong digital presence of Bolsonaro.

André Janones and Lula's Army

The campaign clicked and on October 20, Lula reached 200 million interactions on social media since Oct. 5 whereas Bolsonaro had 54 million, according to Projeto Brief data agency in a study conducted for local newspaper Estadao.

According to data from analytics company Bites, between the campaign’s launch on August 16 and up to the first round, Lula and Bolsonaro had more or less the same number of interactions. But since the beginning of the second round, the incumbent’s profiles received around 111 million interactions against Bolsonaro’s 31 million.

Janones “basically embraced the right’s style of aggressive politics, very intense, constant messaging,” Oliver Stuenkel, a professor of International Relations at Fundação Getulio Vargas in São Paulo, told AP.

“The defeat in the first round jolted the Lula campaign into action. The strategy during the first round was lackluster and saw a lot of infighting,” Stuenkel said.

About the Author

Bobins loves telling the human side of all stories, from the intersection of geopolitics, international relations, and conflicts around the world. In his nearly one-and-a-half-decade career as a journalist, Bobins has covered South Asia, the Middle East, and North America, from elections to mass protests and conflicts. <br> Bobins has also done extensive reporting on environmental issues, climate change, and sustainability, focusing on solutions and people working to make the planet a better place to live. <br> In 2018, Bobins was awarded by Times Internet for the impact of his story on Delhi tree cuttings. Bobins also loves telling the stories of Indian startups and the journey of their founders. <br> Total Years of Experience: 14 <br> Years of experience at LM: Bobins has been a part of Live Mint since February 2026 <br> Interests: When he is not tracking conflicts, Bobins loves to cook, travel across India, click photos, and watch documentaries on history. Past Experience: Before joining Live Mint, Bobins worked with The Indian Express, where he led the Global Breaking News coverage, Indiatimes, where he led the news team, covering everything trending, ANI, where the focus of his coverage was South Asia, and NBS News. <br> Current Role: Bobins is currently working as an Assistant Editor at Live Mint.