Brazil election: How ‘Lula’s Army’ WhatsApp chat helped turn race around– www.bbc.co.uk

Measuring the electoral impact of online mobilisation, however, is notoriously difficult.

While Lula’s allies credit Lula’s Army with helping fuel the comeback, political scientists caution that it is impossible to determine how many votes, if any, were directly influenced by the WhatsApp operation.

Political scientist Denilde Holzhacker argues that a shift in Lula’s campaign strategy was key to his comeback.

Rather than relying solely on online engagement, she says the Workers’ Party candidate succeeded in connecting digital campaigning with grassroots mobilisation on the ground.

According to Holzhacker, the campaign intensified local efforts and adapted its messaging – linking a Bolsonaro victory with concerns about potential changes to social programmes and the loss of rights.

“It was to Lula’s credit that he recognised his own weakness and completely changed his style,” she says. “And Janones managed to do something that had seemed unthinkable for Brazil’s left – dominate social media.”