Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has announced he will seek re-election in October 2026, confirming his candidacy during a state visit to Indonesia on October 23.

Speaking alongside Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta, the 79-year-old leftist leader brushed off concerns about his age, declaring he retained the vigour of his younger years.

"I'll be 80, but I have the same energy I had at 30. I will run for a fourth term in Brazil," Lula told reporters.

The announcement, whilst anticipated following months of speculation, marks a formal declaration approximately one year ahead of Brazil's 2026 high-stakes presidential election. Lula, who founded the Workers' Party (PT), previously served two consecutive terms from 2003 to 2011 before returning to power in January 2023.

The confirmation represents a U-turn from his 2022 position. Before his most recent election victory, Lula had stated he was not considering re-election, telling Metrópole radio: "I won't be the president of the Republic thinking about his re-election. I'll be the president thinking about governing this country for four years and leaving it squeaky clean," Folha de São Paulo reported.

His decision comes amid recovering approval ratings throughout 2025, bolstered by his firm response to President Donald Trump's tariff offensive against Brazil, and an apparent absence of strong alternative candidates within his party, according to local media analysis.

The seasoned leader made his announcement during a bilateral meeting focused on strengthening trade relations between Brazil and Indonesia, with agreements signed covering energy, mining, agriculture and technology sectors. The presidents also discussed advancing a Mercosur-Indonesia Preferential Trade Agreement before December.

Lula's main challenger for 2026 remains uncertain. Former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, who lost to Lula in 2022, is barred from running due to a recent conviction exceeding 27 years in prison for alleged coup attempts and other electoral court rulings—charges he denies.

The conservative opposition faces a leadership vacuum with Bolsonaro, a divisive figure shunned by the coalition's moderate wing, currently under house arrest. His wife Michelle Bolsonaro has refused to rule out a presidential bid, telling reporters she would seek divine guidance and consult her imprisoned husband before deciding. "Any decision regarding possible candidacies will be based on a thorough debate with my husband... and will be the result of much prayer to discern the mission that God may eventually entrust to me," the 43-year-old former first lady recently told AFP in an interview.

Other potential right-wing contenders include São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas, a more moderate pick considered the establishment favourite but reportedly reluctant to abandon a safer state-level re-election bid; Paraná Governor Carlos Roberto Massa, known as Ratinho Júnior, who polls competitively against Lula; and senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the former president's son. Recent polling shows de Freitas trailing Lula 35% to 43% in a hypothetical run-off, whilst Ratinho registers 34% to Lula's 44%, suggesting a competitive but uphill battle for any conservative challenger.

Following his Indonesia visit, Lula will travel to Malaysia for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit, where a meeting with President Trump is scheduled for October 25. Brazilian officials view the encounter as potentially heralding a turning point in bilateral relations following recent tensions linked to Trump’s support for Bolsonaro, a close ideological ally, during legal proceedings that saw the latter convicted in September for attempted coup.

The Brazilian delegation includes Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, Central Bank president Gabriel Galípolo, and other senior cabinet members, underscoring the significance of the Asian diplomatic mission.

If successful in 2026, Lula would be sworn in for an unprecedented fourth presidential term at age 81, extending his tenure over Latin America's largest economy well into the next decade.