Buenos Aires [Argentina], October 24: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wants to run for a fourth term next year, despite his advanced age, he said on Thursday.
"I will soon be 80 years old, but I still have the same energy I had when I was 30," Lula said during a visit to Indonesia. "I will seek a fourth term in Brazil." The left-wing president will celebrate his 80th birthday next week. Lula already led Latin America's largest country from 2003 to 2011 and is currently serving his third term since the start of 2023.
This makes the former Brazilian union leader the longest-serving head of state since the country's return to democracy some 40 years ago.
Lula is currently travelling through Asia. After his visit to Indonesia, he will fly to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Malaysia.
According to Brazilian media reports, he could meet with US President Donald Trump there.
Relations between Brazil and the US have deteriorated since former Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison in September for attempting a coup following his election defeat to Lula.
Describing the criminal proceedings against the right-wing politician as politically motivated, Trump imposed punitive 50% tariffs on numerous Brazilian products.
Source: Qatar Tribune