Greta Thunberg Backs Lula Ahead of Brazil's Runoff Election

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has come out in support of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ahead of Brazil's presidential runoff on Sunday, Oct. 25. In a video posted on Instagram on Friday evening, Oct. 23, she called a victory for his right-wing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro "a disaster for the entire planet."

Appeal to Brazil's youth

Thunberg described the Amazon as the "lungs of the world," which she said is openly threatened by the far right. Young people around the world are rising up to defend their rights, she said, including in Brazil. Addressing young Brazilians, she said: "You now have the opportunity and the responsibility to stand up and reclaim your future, which is at stake in this election and in the years to come. We are counting on you to protect it."

Latin America is increasingly being bought and exploited by foreign powers amid a new wave of imperialist interventions, Thunberg said. This is happening, she said, partly through direct manipulation of the election by the company Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. As examples of "war criminals," she named Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu. "Latin America is not for sale. The eyes of the world are on you," the activist said.

Tight race for the presidency

In the runoff, Lula of the left-wing Workers' Party (PT) faces Flávio Bolsonaro of the right-wing Liberal Party (PL), the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro. The race is considered close, with protection of the Amazon and climate policy among the central issues. As we reported on Oct. 19, Lula even urged Jair Bolsonaro to vote for him during the showdown with Flávio Bolsonaro.

Mockery came from the Bolsonaro camp: PL lawmaker Nikolas Ferreira poked fun on X at a video of international artists backing Lula and mentioned Thunberg in the process ("Greta has risen from the dead"). While Lula supporters celebrated the Swedish activist's video, critics saw it as interference by a privileged European activist.

Electoral court examines allegations against Meta

With her criticism, Thunberg takes up allegations that have been raised against Meta for weeks. The company is said to have put Lula's campaign at a disadvantage and favored Bolsonaro. According to Lula's campaign team and the Superior Electoral Court, Lula's advertising account was temporarily suspended, including on Sept. 23. On Oct. 9 and 10, paid promotion of posts on Instagram was reportedly restricted.

The AI assistant Meta AI is also said to have refused to create campaign images featuring Lula's name and his ballot number, 13, while fulfilling similar requests for Bolsonaro with the number 22. Critics also complain that Bolsonaro content is favored in search results and recommendations, and that Lula is linked to terms such as "thief." The organizations Sleeping Giants Brasil and CTRL+Z submitted evidence to the electoral court. On Oct. 19, people protested outside Meta's headquarters in São Paulo under the slogan "Meta, não se meta" (Meta, don't meddle).

The Superior Electoral Court (TSE), on the order of Justice Marco Aurélio Bellizze – the title given to the court's judges – required Meta to treat both candidates equally, including in the distribution of content, advertising and AI applications. Violations carry daily fines of up to one million reais. The Meta Oversight Board, the company's independent review body, criticized repeated failures in applying election rules, above all an excessive use of anti-fraud measures on Lula's advertising accounts. UN experts demanded explanations and warned of unequal treatment, as did a group of U.S. Democrats in a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Meta rejects all allegations of political interference or favoritism as false and unfounded. It said there had been technical incidents that affected both sides, and that there was no intention to influence the election. On Oct. 20, the company submitted documents to the court and stated that the same rules and criteria apply to both candidates. On Oct. 23, according to Diário Carioca, the court demanded technical explanations from Meta and X. The documents submitted so far do not yet substantiate the alleged irregularities, the outlet said.