By Ricardo Chapola | October 24, 2025

A survey shows that Lula has improved his position in the race. According to his opponents, this is due to massive investments and the use of robots.

Jair Bolsonaro broke a paradigm in Brazilian politics by winning the 2018 presidential election with a tiny party, with limited TV advertising time and limited public resources available for his campaign. The captain benefited from the damage caused by Operation Car Wash to the traditional parties and won over voters with an intense social media presence, where he was celebrated as a "legend." Since then, Bolsonaro supporters have been thrashing the left in the digital world. Since then, Lula and his top aides have prioritized reorganizing the left for online debate, a move that gained momentum with the work of two marketing experts: Sidônio Palmeira, appointed Minister of the Presidency's Social Communication Secretariat, and Otávio Antunes, who works for the Workers' Party (PT). This year, independent companies even detected some victories for the government over the opposition on social media. However, nothing that has leveled the playing field. In terms of competitiveness, Lula still has a long way to go, but he has already minimally structured his base for an attempt at a reaction — and has advanced into territory that was completely hostile to him.

Attacks, insults, lies, and provocations aside, the influence of social media on elections is undeniable. Letícia Capone, a professor at PUC-Rio and director of the Democracy in Check Institute, digital tools have gained relevance in campaigns because they amplify the reach of messages, but they still don't determine the outcome of the election alone. Proof of this is Lula's victory over Bolsonaro in 2022. Or the defeat of now-minister Guilherme Boulos (PSOL), a social media success, to Ricardo Nunes (MDB) in the 2024 São Paulo mayoral race. "An intersection of factors is at play, such as the economic situation, alliances, and rejection rates, but it's undeniable that social media has considerable potential to have a significant impact on the electoral contest," says the professor. She notes that significant segments of the electorate are increasingly getting their information through these platforms.

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