Lula admits it was a mistake to talk about 2026 in Indonesia: ‘I don’t have votes there’

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) commented on Monday (27) on his statement about running for reelection as President in 2026. According to the PT member, it was a ‘mistake’ to make the announcement during his trip to Indonesia. ‘I shouldn’t have said in Indonesia that I was a candidate, I should speak in Brazil. It was a slip on my part, I don’t have votes there,’ joked the Head of State while talking to journalists in Malaysia, where he is participating in the 47th ASEAN Summit (Association of Southeast Asian Nations).

Last Thursday (23), Lula admitted, for the first time, that he intends to run for a fourth term as President of the Republic. ‘My term ends at the end of 2026, but we are prepared to run in other elections,’ he said during a speech alongside the President of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto.

Until then, Lula had been saying that a possible candidacy depended on his health. In August, he told Itatiaia that he needed to be in good physical and mental condition. At the time, the leader emphasized that he was ‘sure’ it would be a tough election and that if he ran, it would be to win the race.

Political scenario: According to CNN Brazil, the early declaration of the presidential race was a way for Lula to take advantage of the current political scenario. The statement comes amid a moment of fragmentation in the opposition and the loss of international prominence of the Bolsonarism due to Lula’s conversations with Trump, who met on Sunday (26).

As shown in the latest electoral polls, Lula has been receiving positive evaluations from voters in recent weeks. A survey released by the Paraná Pesquisas institute on Monday (27) shows that the PT member leads all potential first round scenarios for the 2026 elections.