Lula hints at 2026 run, eyes historic fourth presidential term

DUQUE DE CAXIAS, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva suggested on Friday that he will stand for re-election in 2026, but stopped short of making a formal announcement.

"Get ready. If everything goes the way I am thinking, this country will, for the first time, have a president elected four times by the Brazilian people," Lula told an event in Rio de Janeiro.

The 79-year-old leftist leader was elected in 2022 for his third non-consecutive term, having previously served as president between 2003 and 2010.

His remarks come as he faces a popularity crisis, with his approval ratings hovering around historic lows amid high inflation in Latin America's largest economy, and tensions with Congress, where he lacks a solid coalition.

Lula is Brazil's oldest sitting president ever and has had some health scares, including a pair of emergency surgeries last year to treat and prevent bleeding in his head.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Viga Gaier; Writing by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama )