Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez threw his support behind Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Wednesday, endorsing his fellow leftist for the October 25 presidential runoff in Brazil.
In a Spanish-language message posted to social media, Sánchez framed the contest as a choice between democratic advancement and authoritarian retreat. “Lula represents a Brazil that fights against injustice and inequality, that expands rights, and that defends democracy against authoritarianism,” he wrote, according to Breitbart. “That Brazil deserves to continue advancing toward a future of hope and progress. That is why we offer all our support to Lula da Silva.”
The Spanish leader closed his message with the Portuguese word “Força”—strength—a pointed linguistic nod to his Brazilian counterpart.
Two Socialists in a Shifting Hemisphere
The endorsement arrives as both leaders find themselves increasingly isolated among like-minded governments in their respective regions. According to Breitbart, Sánchez and Lula now stand as two of the last staunchly progressive heads of state in Europe and South America, as conservative movements have gained ground across both continents.
Lula faces conservative Senator Flávio Bolsonaro in the runoff. Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, outperformed every public poll to win the first round on October 4, but fell short of the 50 percent threshold required to avoid a second round.
Post-election polling suggests Bolsonaro is now ahead of Lula. Brazilian outlets have repeatedly noted that since the country returned to democracy in the 1980s, no candidate who finished second in the first round has gone on to win the runoff.
Lula, 80, is seeking a fourth presidential term. He has already served 12 years across three non-consecutive terms after winning elections in 2002, 2006, and 2022. He also ran unsuccessfully in 1989, 1994, and 1998.
His path back to power has been anything but conventional. Lula was convicted of misappropriating government funds and barred from running for office, but the Brazilian Supreme Court overturned the ban, allowing him to run in 2022, when he narrowly defeated Jair Bolsonaro in an election that remains deeply controversial. The incumbent has recently described himself as the only “anti-system” candidate in the race.
Bolsonaro’s Party Surges in Congress
Beyond the presidential contest, Brazil’s October 4 general elections delivered what Breitbart described as the strongest electoral performance by the Brazilian right in four decades. Flávio Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party will become the largest bloc in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate once the newly elected lawmakers take office next year, giving conservatives a majority in both chambers of Congress.
Sánchez’s intervention comes as he navigates his own domestic troubles. The Spanish prime minister, who called a snap election for November 29, has faced fierce public backlash in recent weeks. Over the weekend, he was booed and subjected to vulgar insults during Spain’s National Day parade, according to Breitbart.
His government has also drawn heavy criticism for its handling of mass migration into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Meanwhile, his inner circle has been entangled in a series of ongoing corruption cases this year, some of which involve his wife, Begoña Gómez.
A Shared Skepticism of Washington
Both Sánchez and Lula have been vocal critics of the United States and President Donald Trump, particularly regarding the war in Iran. According to Breitbart, during Lula’s official visit to Spain in April, he told Sánchez, “I understand when you say no to war.”
The transatlantic alignment between the two leaders is not new—they have appeared together at progressive gatherings, including a Global Progressive Mobilisation event in Barcelona earlier this year. But the timing of Sánchez’s latest endorsement, arriving just over a week before Brazilians return to the polls, underscores how much is riding on the outcome for the international left.
With Bolsonaro leading in post-first-round surveys and a conservative majority set to take hold in Brazil’s Congress, Lula’s allies abroad are making their preferences known. Whether Sánchez’s backing moves any voters in Brazil remains to be seen, but it signals that the runoff is being watched far beyond South America.
Brazil’s runoff election is scheduled for October 25.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2026/10/15/comrade-socialists-spains-pedro-sanchez-endorses-lula-in-brazil-runoff/