It is considered that the campaign carried out on social media played an important role in the victory of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who won the presidential election held in Brazil on October 25.
After Lula was elected president for the fourth time, all eyes turned to Minas Gerais MP André Janones, who stood out in the digital leg of the campaign.
Janones, who did not play an effective role in the Workers' Party's (PT) communication strategy in the first part of the election campaign, focused on social media activities after Lula finished the first round behind.
Janones, who attracted attention especially with the supporter network he organized via WhatsApp, was thanked by Lula in front of thousands of people and invited to the stage after his election victory.
Following his election victory, Lula attended the celebrations held on Avenida Paulista in São Paulo in the early hours of Monday, October 26.
After the crowd chanted "Janones, Janones", Lula called the MP, whom he called "my general" throughout the campaign, to the platform where he gave his speech.
It was stated that the WhatsApp channel called "Lula's Army", managed by Janones, reached more than 10 million followers in the second round of the elections.
Lula used the following statements while addressing his supporters:
“Our army is the army of honor, democracy, education and health.”
These words were interpreted as an acceptance of the role of Janones, who had disagreements with the party leadership from time to time throughout the campaign, in the election victory.
DID SOCIAL MEDIA CHANGED THE FATE OF THE ELECTION?
Janones' influence in the campaign became evident after Lula's first-round disadvantage.
The MP, who uses a harsh and direct communication language on social media, came to the fore with his campaign against the supporters of rival candidate Flávio Bolsonaro.
However, Janones did not accept the description of him as "the name that changed the fate of the election" after the victory.
Attributing success to Lula's political power, the MP said, "The energy comes from him, the power comes from him. My duty was to direct this energy to the right channels."
Janones evaluated the harsh communication strategy he implemented throughout the campaign as a reaction to the attacks from his opponents:
“We responded to cowardice.”
According to Brazilian media g1, some people involved in Lula's election campaign argue that Janones should take charge in the new government.
It is stated that some politicians within the Labor Party are also planning to invite Janones back to the party.
While it is not yet clear whether Janones will serve in the government, this possibility may be the beginning of a new era in the MP's political career.
FROM ICE CREAM SELLER TO PARLIAMENT
Born in 1984 in Ituiutaba, Minas Gerais state, André Janones grew up in a modest family.
His mother was a domestic worker and his father was a bird cage manufacturer. He lost his father, who used a wheelchair, when he was only 10 months old.
According to Brazilian magazine Piauí, Janones was educated in public schools and started working at a young age.
Janones, who earned his living by selling ice cream for a while, later studied law with a partial scholarship.
During his university years, he worked as a ticket collector on buses, as a court clerk and as an advisor to parliamentarians.
Janones, who opened his own law firm in 2009, filed pro bono cases for people who had difficulty paying for medication or surgery.
TRUCKER WAS KNOWN WITH HIS PROTESTS
Janones' national recognition began with his support for the strike organized by truck drivers in 2018.
While the videos he published on social media reached wide audiences, he was elected as a Minas Gerais MP from the Avante Party in the same year.
Janones, who received 178 thousand 600 votes, thus entered the federal parliament.
He increased his influence on social media with his posts defending the government's emergency aid program during the Covid-19 outbreak.
Janones, who announced his candidacy for the presidency in 2022, decided to withdraw from the race and support Lula in August of the same year.
The politician, who once defined himself as "neither right-wing nor left-wing", was considered one of the important names who could fight against the influence of the pro-Bolsonaro movement on social media.
BECAME AN ALLY OF LULA, CREATED A DEBATE WITHIN PT
Janones has become one of Lula's most notable digital supporters in the 2022 elections.
However, his harsh tone and provocative posts towards his opponents caused controversy within the Labor Party.
Some party leaders worried that the language Janones used could damage Lula's political image.
Janones, who broadcast live in front of the Temple of Solomon of the Universal Church in São Paulo during the 2022 campaign, made statements targeting Jair Bolsonaro.
The broadcast in question was watched more than 2.2 million times.
Janones had to be separated by security guards after he argued with Bolsonaro's former Environment Minister Ricardo Salles backstage at the presidential debate held on Band television the same year.
These events increased criticism of Janones' style of politics.
“LULA'S SOCIAL MEDIA LANGUAGE IS OLD”
Janones did not initially take on an official role in the 2026 election campaign.
In an interview with the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper, he said that Lula mobilized voters on his own initiative to close his disadvantage in the first round.
The lawmaker also noted that he had previously been criticized by some leftist politicians for warning about the rise of Flávio Bolsonaro.
Arguing that Bolsonaro could surpass Lula in the polls in August, Janones warned that right-wing voters could move away from other candidates and unite around Bolsonaro in September.
Janones criticized Lula's digital communication strategy with the following words:
"The way the president communicates on social media is an outdated, analog method. It's not just about distributing content, it's about speaking the language of social media."
AGREED TO AN AGREEMENT IN CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION
Janones' political career came to the fore not only with his success on social media, but also with corruption allegations against him.
In 2023, the Metrópoles news site published an audio recording in which Janones allegedly asked his advisors to transfer part of their salaries to him.
The practice known as “rachadinha” in Brazil refers to parliamentary advisors transferring a portion of their salaries to the parliamentarian or people designated by him.
Allegedly, Janones demanded money from his employees to cover financial losses resulting from his election campaign for Mayor of Ituiutaba in 2016.
Janones initially denied any wrongdoing.
In March 2025, Brazilian Federal Supreme Court (STF) Judge Luiz Fux approved the agreement on an alternative to criminal prosecution between Janones and the Federal Prosecutor's Office (PGR).
As part of the agreement, Janones agreed to cover the personal expenses of a consultant.
The MP committed to pay a total of 157 thousand 800 Brazilian reals, including repayment and other financial obligations, to the parliament in order to prevent a criminal case against him.
In September 2026, the Federal Prosecutor's Office declared that Janones had fulfilled his obligations arising from the agreement and requested the termination of his criminal liability.
BLACKMAIL ACCUSED FROM HIS EX PARTNER
Another controversy that came to the fore about Janones was the accusations of his former partner, Ituiutaba Mayor Leandra Guedes.
In the incident, which became public in April 2025, Guedes accused Janones of blackmailing him by using his private images.
Upon Guedes' application, the court issued a protective order against Janones.
Within the scope of the decision, the MP was prohibited from approaching Guedes more than 300 meters, communicating with him and his family, and sharing private images.
Janones denied the accusations and claimed that he did not send any images, that he did not commit a crime and that there was a conspiracy against him.
It was stated that the file was being carried out under a confidentiality order.
The tension between Guedes and Janones came to the fore again during the 2026 presidential elections.
Flávio Bolsonaro's campaign team invited Guedes to a presidential debate on Globo television.
This invitation was considered as an attempt by the Bolsonaro campaign to put political pressure on Lula and his allies.
Janones, on the other hand, abandoned his plan to support Lula by participating in the debate in order to avoid confrontation with Guedes.
In the video he published on social media, Guedes argued that he did not participate in the program for revenge.
“I went to be the voice of women who were victimized and tried to silence by people in power,” Guedes said.
WHAT AWAITS JANONES AFTER THE ELECTION VICTORY?
After Lula's election victory, Janones' political future is being discussed again.
While he is praised as one of the prominent figures of the digital campaign in the second round, past accusations against him and his harsh political style continue to be discussed.
Opinions within the Labor Party that Janones should rejoin the party and take on a role in the new government indicate that this debate will continue in the coming period.
Lula's honoring of Janones in front of thousands of his supporters on the election night shows that the position of the MP, who was previously left in the background in the campaign, has strengthened in the ruling circle.
Whether Janones will assume an official position in the new term will become clear with the cabinet decisions regarding Lula's fourth presidential term.
BIRTHDAY MESSAGE TO LULA: 'HE GAVE ME THE COURAGE TO DREAM'
Member of Parliament André Janones, who came to prominence with the digital campaign he carried out during the election victory of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, shared an emotional message on Lula's birthday.
Explaining the reasons for his love, respect and loyalty to Lula, Janones touched on his childhood years when he grew up in poverty.
Stating that he encountered difficulties in many periods of his life, Janones stated that Lula's political struggle inspired him.
Stating that very few people have ever asked the source of his loyalty to Lula, Janones said:
"To this day, very few people have asked me where this love, respect and devotion for President Lula comes from. I think even he doesn't know why."
Reminding that he was born into a poor family, Janones talked about the difficulties he faced in his childhood.
"I was born in a very poor family, to a domestic worker mother. Life brought me to the brink of giving up many times," Janones said.
“I REMEMBER A MAN WHO CAME OUT OF POVERTY AND CHANGED HIS COUNTRY”
Stating that he took strength from Lula's life story during his difficult times, Janones drew attention to the Brazilian leader's life, which started in poverty.
Janones included the following words in his statement:
“In moments like these, I am reminded of a man who emigrated from the northeast of the country, was born in poverty, suffered hunger, and decided to change his country to ensure that the poor and working people could live a dignified life.”
Arguing that the social policies implemented during Lula's rule changed the lives of millions of people, Janones emphasized that these policies should not be evaluated only with their economic results.
“I BENEFITED FROM HIS POLICIES, BUT FROM THE HOPE HE GIVEN”
The most striking part of Janones' message was his words about the impact of Lula's social policies on his own life.
Stating that he did not directly benefit from Lula's practices, the MP stated that his main gain was hope.
Janones said, "The interesting thing is that I did not directly benefit from any of the social policies he implemented. What I benefited from was the hope that that man raised in me."
Arguing that Lula's political legacy cannot be measured only by economic indicators, Janones continued as follows:
"It is possible to show with numbers how many people's lives have changed thanks to the policies he implemented. However, we will never know exactly how many people he gave the courage to dream."
At the end of his post, Janones congratulated Lula on his birthday and wished the Brazilian leader a long life.
The deputy said, "Happy birthday, President Lula! May God continue to protect you and give you a long life so that you can continue to serve our people."
Janones concluded his message with the words, "Brazil celebrates and pays its respects to one of its most precious children."
