Brazilian president will seek fourth term at age 80: ‘I’ve got as much energy as when I was 30’

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who first ran for elected office in 1982, announced he will run again in next year’s election

The Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has announced he will seek a historic fourth term in next year’s presidential election, potentially extending one of the most remarkable and enduring political careers in modern Latin American history.

The former metalworker, who returned to the presidency in 2023 after beating the far-right incumbent, Jair Bolsonaro, confirmed his decision during a speech in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta.

“I’m about to turn 80 but you can be sure that I’ve got as much energy as I did when I was 30. And I’m going to run for a fourth term in Brazil,” announced Lula who celebrates his birthday on Monday.

Even as he approaches 80, Lula remains by far the most influential figure on the Brazilian left – a status the former union leader has enjoyed for the last 40 years. If elected, he would be 85 by the time he finishes his fourth term and would have become the only democratically elected Brazilian to have spent 16 years of his life in power.