# Lula and Janones Mobilize Digital Army to Pressure Congress and Judiciary Government aims to maintain campaign-era digital militancy to influence legislative and judicial agendas. - **Source:** [Estadão](https://www.estadao.com.br) - **Published:** 2026-11-07 - **Topic:** [politics](https://brifing.si/c/politics) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/8ec7eb91-4e3c-488a-9842-b42a1a4348e7 ## Digital Mobilization Strategy President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Congressman André Janones are leveraging the 'Lula Army,' a WhatsApp-based digital network, to sustain political support. Originally created to boost the 2022 presidential campaign, the channel reached over 10 million followers and is now being repurposed to influence legislative and judicial decision-making processes. ## Shifting Political Targets The government intends to use this digital infrastructure to pressure Congress and the Supreme Court (STF) on specific policy agendas. Recent efforts include mobilizing followers against the potential end of sports betting regulations. This marks a transition from purely electoral campaigning to active, ongoing management of the national political environment. ## Algorithmic Engagement Tactics André Janones utilized sophisticated social media tactics, such as instructing supporters to ignore adversarial attacks to prevent boosting opponent visibility. By understanding that platforms are not neutral, the strategy aims to shape public debate and control the flow of information, effectively creating a favorable narrative for the current administration's policy goals. ## External Pressure Mechanism Political scientists describe this approach as 'external pressure' on state institutions. By framing legislative disputes as conflicts between public interest and organized economic groups, the government seeks to increase the political cost for lawmakers who resist their agenda. This strategy allows the executive to influence outcomes without needing direct legislative control. ## Academic Perspective on Bubbles Researcher Issaaf Karhawi notes that the 'Lula Army' succeeded by rescuing community building from the atomization caused by algorithmic bubbles. However, she warns that the model faces challenges. Since the channel was centered on a single personality, maintaining engagement requires evolving beyond simple news distribution to avoid losing its core community. ## Leftist Digital Ecosystem Allies like Guilherme Cortez emphasize that the channel provides a centralized vehicle for the left, which historically struggled with dispersed communication. By emulating the structured digital ecosystems often associated with the right, the government hopes to maintain governability in a political landscape where the correlation of forces remains unfavorable to them. ## Future International Integration President Lula has expressed strong support for the initiative, even proposing that Janones join him on international trips, such as the upcoming COP31 in Turkey, to conduct live broadcasts. Lula views the mobilization as an extraordinary tool that differentiates his administration's communication style from traditional, less engaged political outreach methods. ## Sustainability of Engagement The long-term viability of the 'Lula Army' remains uncertain as it shifts from campaign fervor to governing. Lawmakers like Luna Zarattini argue that future success depends on connecting with daily population struggles. Without concrete, mobilizing issues that resonate with citizens, the digital network risks losing the enthusiasm that defined its inception. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.estadao.com.br/politica/exercito-do-lula-janones-e-governo-tentam-manter-militancia-ativa-para-pressionar-congresso-e-stf/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._