SACP congratulates Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on his victory in Brazil's 2026 presidential election

Monday, 26 October 2026:- At stake in the Brazilian elections was, and remains, the defence of Brazil’s national self-determination and democratic sovereignty, on the side of Lula. Lula’s presidential campaign was supported not only by his own party but notably by a broad front of Left and progressive parties, organisations, social movements and democratic forces. Ultimately, as the election results show, this campaign secured the support of the majority of the electorate, reflecting the will of the people. On the side of the right wing was, and remains, a reactionary agenda with fascist characteristics, backed by powerful domestic and international interests, including support from the imperialist regime of the United States and its establishment. This includes the influence and manipulation of major internet and digital media platforms.

The United States’ imposition of 50% per cent tariffs on Brazilian goods in 2025 was clearly aimed at exerting economic pressure on Brazil, weakening its developmental trajectory, and using the resulting economic consequences to foster discontent against Lula’s presidency, strengthen right-wing opposition forces, and advance an imperialist-backed regime-change agenda, including via the ballot. In response, Lula’s presidential campaign placed the defence of Brazil’s sovereignty at the centre.

Economic development and expansion, and the continued defence of national democratic sovereignty remain among the principal tasks facing Lula’s presidency after defeating the agenda in elections in an international atmosphere characterised by the continued aggression of United States-led imperialism. The revolutionary and progressive people of Brazil will need to deepen and expand their unity, particularly because the right wing continues to dominate several key centres of economic, political, and ideological power, such as the media, information and communication technology, and associated digital platforms.

Legitimate concerns about major United States-based transnational digital platforms manipulating public opinion to shape electoral outcomes emerged sharply during the election period. When the Brazilian Superior Electoral Court ruled in favour of Lula and ordered Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, to ensure equal treatment of presidential candidates, it did so in response to concerns from Lula’s campaign about the negative impact of platform bias and favouritism on the fairness of the electoral process. The court further directed Meta not to restrict searches, content distribution, or posts, and to avoid any conduct that created electoral imbalances. This type of conduct disadvantaged Lula and advantaged the right-wing candidate, Flávio Bolsonaro. In its judgment, the court warned of substantial financial penalties for non-compliance.

Among the issues raised was evidence from leaked internal communications showing that Meta employees acknowledged Lula’s Instagram accounts faced restricted reach and technical irregularities, while content associated with Bolsonaro favourably benefited from platform recommendations and algorithmic amplification. This reinforced concerns about the concentration of power in transnational digital platforms controlled by private capital and their capacity to influence democratic processes in favour of imperialist regime change and other machinations.

ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNIST PARTY,
FOUNDED IN 1921 AS THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF SOUTH AFRICA.
 
Media, Communications & Information Department | MCID
 
Mhlekwa Nxumalo, Acting National Spokesperson
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