Rio de Janeiro (EFE).- Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva confirmed on Thursday that he intends to run for a fourth presidential term in Brazil’s October 2026 elections.
“I will run for a fourth term in Brazil,” Lula told his Indonesian counterpart, Prabowo Subianto, after a bilateral meeting in Jakarta, according to the Brazilian presidential press office.
Lula said that although his current term ends in late 2026, he is “ready” to seek another mandate.
The president, who turns 80 on Oct. 27, added that despite his age he feels as energetic as when he was 30. He also said his decision would help strengthen relations between Brazil and Indonesia.
“We will meet many times (…) and I will make the relationship between Indonesia and Brazil even more valuable,” he said.
During Lula’s visit, Brazil and Indonesia signed several cooperation agreements in the fields of energy, mining, agriculture, and technology at a ceremony held at Indonesia’s Presidential Palace.
Lula and Subianto also agreed to accelerate negotiations on a Mercosur–Indonesia Preferential Trade Agreement, with the goal of concluding talks before December.
Following his visit to Indonesia, Lula will travel to Malaysia to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders’ summit, where he is also expected to meet with US President Donald Trump.
Lula, founder of the Workers’ Party (PT), previously governed Brazil for two consecutive terms from 2003 to 2011 and returned to office on Jan. 1, 2023, after defeating then-President Jair Bolsonaro in the elections. EFE
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