Who is André Janones? The 'General' behind ‘Lula’s Army’, 10.8 million-follower WhatsApp channel that helped Brazil’s left mobilise voters after the president’s first-round setback

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s re-election campaign used a WhatsApp channel with 10.8 million followers to coordinate supporters, circulate campaign videos and promote hashtags ahead of his victory over Flávio Bolsonaro in the presidential runoff.

The channel, called ‘Lula’s Army’, was led by Congressman André Janones. Its activities included ready-made messages for supporters to share, instructions to promote campaign material and a 24-hour livestream on the eve of the election, according to BBC News Brasil.

Lula secured more than 64 million votes, defeating Bolsonaro by approximately 4.4 million votes. In his victory speech, Lula referred to Janones as “our General” and thanked him for raising the morale of supporters during the campaign.

Who is André Janones?

A 42-year-old Brazilian lawyer and federal lawmaker from Minas Gerais, Janones first gained national attention through social media videos during Brazil’s 2018 truckers’ strike. He was elected to Congress that year, abandoned his 2022 presidential bid to support Lula and led the ‘Lula’s Army’ WhatsApp campaign during the 2026 election.

How Lula’s Army turned WhatsApp followers into campaign volunteers

Janones used WhatsApp to assign supporters specific tasks designed to increase Lula’s visibility across social media and encourage conversations about the election.

Messages frequently included ready-made text and instructions that followers could forward to friends and family. Supporters were encouraged to circulate videos, promote hashtags and invite new people to join the campaign.

Janones often addressed his followers as troops and framed the tasks as missions. According to BBC News Brasil, his messages included calls such as “Guys, urgent!” and “Don't go to sleep yet”, alongside reminders that supporters had more tasks to complete.

On the eve of the runoff, Janones hosted a 24-hour livestream called the “turnaround livestream”. The broadcast took place while polls continued to indicate a possible victory for Bolsonaro.

Lula's allies credited the operation with helping change the campaign's momentum. Its rapid growth also challenged the long-standing perception that conservative groups aligned with Jair Bolsonaro had a structural advantage in Brazilian digital politics.

Why Lula changed his campaign strategy

Lula's digital mobilisation took off after the first round exposed weaknesses in his campaign. He had been trailing Flávio Bolsonaro. His team also increased local campaigning and adjusted its messaging to reach undecided voters and people who had supported other candidates.

Oliver Stuenkel, a professor of international relations at Fundação Getulio Vargas in São Paulo, told the Associated Press that the first-round campaign had been lacklustre and affected by internal disagreements. He said the setback prompted a more aggressive approach to digital communication.

Political scientist Denilde Holzhacker told BBC News Brasil that Lula’s campaign linked a possible Bolsonaro victory with concerns about social programmes and the loss of rights.

Janones adopted a communication style that echoed tactics associated with right-wing political mobilisation, using frequent messages, urgent instructions and coordinated online activity.

However, the turnaround involved more than social media.

How much did social media influence the result?

Political scientist Denilde Holzhacker told BBC News Brasil that Lula's campaign also intensified its local outreach and changed its messaging. It linked a possible Bolsonaro victory with concerns about social programmes and the loss of rights, seeking to persuade voters beyond Lula's existing support base.

Mayra Goulart, a sociologist and political scientist at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, told BBC News Brasil that the campaign involved both social media and street-level mobilisation. She said local efforts helped bring people together and persuade undecided voters to participate.

According to figures cited by the Associated Press, an additional 14.1 million voters participated in the runoff compared with the first round. Analysts estimated that approximately three-quarters of these additional votes went to Lula. The figures do not establish how many votes were directly influenced by the WhatsApp channel.

Meta faced scrutiny during the campaign

Juliano Cortinhas, an international relations professor at the University of Brasília, told AP that Lula's supporters believed algorithms on Meta platforms and other services amplified right-wing material more heavily than content from the left.

Brazil’s top electoral court ruled on October 15 that Meta must ensure equal treatment for both candidates. Meta subsequently said it had addressed the order, according to AP.

What Lula's victory could mean for digital politics

Lula's victory has given Janones' operation greater prominence within the president's political camp. His role in the campaign has also raised questions about how digital communication could feature in Lula's next administration.

In his victory speech, Lula said the election had taught him important lessons and promised to give people a greater say in decision-making. He also said digital communication would play a larger role in his government.

“We are going to give people a greater say in decision-making, and digital communication will play a much bigger role in my government,” he said, according to BBC News Brasil.

For Lula's supporters, Lula's Army became a way to coordinate millions of people around a common campaign objective. The channel's lasting significance may therefore lie not simply in its follower count, but in how it connected digital campaigning with on-the-ground mobilisation during a closely contested election.