Lula Reruns WhatsApp Livestream Playbook From COP31 Summit in Turkey

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva broadcast a live stream on Thursday to more than 10 million WhatsApp subscribers, reviving the digital mobilisation model that powered his second-round election campaign — this time from the COP31 climate summit in Antalya, Turkey.

The livestream ran just over 15 minutes. Lula, visibly hoarse, spoke little and said he was drinking more tea than at any point in his life. Congressman André Janones of Rede-MG, who hosted the broadcast, told viewers the president would keep his remarks short to spare his voice.

The call to watch went out through the WhatsApp channel "Exército do Lula" (Lula's Army), the group Janones built during the 2022 campaign. Its subscriber base exceeds 10 million people, and it proved decisive in Lula's digital strategy for the runoff round.

What did the broadcast cover?

Janones used the segment to highlight partnerships Brazil closed during the summit that translate into investment to fight deforestation. Aloizio Mercadante, president of the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES), also joined the stream.

Lula, despite his strained voice, defended his environmental record. "Estamos há quatro anos consecutivos reduzindo em todos os biomas brasileiros," the president said — Brazil has cut deforestation across all of its biomes for four consecutive years. He added that Brazilian agribusiness has managed to raise output while preserving the environment.

Is this a one-off or a pattern?

Thursday's stream was the second such appearance in short order. On the 6th, Lula and Janones had already staged a livestream together.

That earlier broadcast, branded the "Live da Vitória" (Victory Livestream), mixed supporter-produced videos, questions submitted by viewers and personal stories told by the president. The format worked as an engagement machine: it gave the WhatsApp base fresh content and a sense of direct access to Lula.

The repeat performances confirm the channel is now a standing piece of political communications infrastructure rather than a campaign-season tool. For marketers watching Brazil's digital politics, the model is straightforward: a named, owned audience on WhatsApp, a trusted intermediary host, and a repeatable content format combining video, audience questions and personal storytelling.

What comes next for the president?

Lula departs Thursday for Manila in the Philippines, where he will attend the 49th ASEAN Summit, the meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, from Friday through Sunday.

The summit swing ends on a note relevant to the livestream's core message: the deforestation partnerships celebrated on air now form part of the record Lula will carry into his next round of international engagements.