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Lula kicks off fourth-term bid, pledges defence boost, leads poll

8/3/2026

30 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Lula launched his fourth-term campaign on Sunday in São Paulo, saying a win would be his final term.
He pledged higher defence spending and to keep Brazil’s rare-earth and other critical mineral reserves from foreign control, warning China, the United States and France to respect sovereignty.
A Datafolha poll puts Lula ahead of Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, 48% to 43%, as both sides confront corruption investigations.

History

Historical Context

When Lula took office on 1 January 2003 as the Workers’ Party’s president, he won the runoff with 61.27% of the vote and pursued economic stability, poverty reduction and promoted national development. His administration ended in 2011 with record approval. In the 2024 São Paulo race he again stresses national ownership of critical mineral reserves, warning China, the United States and France.

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Story summary

Lula launched his fourth-term campaign on Sunday in São Paulo, saying a win would be his final term.
He pledged higher defence spending and to keep Brazil’s rare-earth and other critical mineral reserves from foreign control, warning China, the United States and France to respect sovereignty.
A Datafolha poll puts Lula ahead of Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, 48% to 43%, as both sides confront corruption investigations.

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