Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said he intends to run for a fourth term next year, despite turning 80 soon, DPA reports, BTA reports.
“I'm going to turn 80 soon, but I still have the same energy I had when I was 30,“ Lula da Silva said during his visit to Indonesia. He added that he would run for president of Brazil again.
Lula da Silva is in power for a third consecutive term, having previously served as head of state from 2003 to 2011. This makes him the longest-serving Brazilian president since the restoration of democracy in the country about 40 years ago.
He is currently on a tour of Asia, and after Indonesia he will visit the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Malaysia. According to Brazilian media, he may also meet with US President Donald Trump there.
Relations between Brazil and the United States have deteriorated after former Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison for attempting a coup after losing the election to Lula da Silva. Trump described the case as politically motivated and imposed 50 percent tariffs on Brazilian products imported into the United States.