Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who turned 80 this October, has declared that he is ready to contest the next presidential election, claiming he still possesses the “energy of a 30-year-old.”

Speaking in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta, Lula said he was determined to run for a fourth presidential term and was preparing himself accordingly.

According to a report by The Guardian, Lula is poised to make history, becoming a legendary figure in modern Latin American political history.

I am 80 years old, but I am not someone who stops because of age. I have the energy of a 30-year-old. I am ready to fight the next election,” Lula said on his birthday this year.

If Lula wins the next presidential race, he will be 85 by the end of his term. The leftist leader, who spent 40 years as a union leader, would then have served a total of 16 years in Brazil’s highest office — a record not only in Brazil but also across Latin America.

Critics, however, have voiced concerns that Lula could face challenges similar to those of former U.S. President Joe Biden, who, at 81, stumbled during his campaign against incumbent Donald Trump and eventually withdrew from the race.

But Lula’s biographer and close friend Fernando Morais dismissed such concerns, saying the Brazilian leader remains in excellent shape. “He still works out regularly at the gym. His fitness is as sharp as a needle and as fine as a blade,” Morais said.

Lula’s greatest strength is his courage and determination,” Morais added. “Fifteen years ago, he survived throat cancer and returned to normal life. Since then, he hasn’t touched a cigarette once.”

Morais also noted that Lula’s memory remains razor-sharp — unlike Biden, who struggled with memory loss. “Lula is both mentally and physically strong,” he said.

Recalling a past experience, Morais shared, “Once, during a 23-hour trip from India to Mozambique, I was exhausted by the time we landed in Brazil. When I suggested he rest, Lula told me he would attend a rally in São Paulo first and rest later. Such indomitable energy is rare.”

Those close to Lula say he sleeps only four to five hours a night, yet remains remarkably active and energetic.

Lula remains a political nemesis to former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, who went to great lengths to block his return to power. Ironically, Bolsonaro is now serving a 27-year prison sentence — a conviction handed down during Lula’s presidency.

Even after the United States imposed a 50% tariff on Brazil in a bid to protect Bolsonaro, Lula refused to back down from his stance.

Still, many believe the next election will be far from easy for Lula. In the previous poll, he defeated Bolsonaro by just two million votes — a relatively narrow margin.

With Bolsonaro now imprisoned, his former minister Tarcísio Freitas has emerged as a likely right-wing candidate, already enjoying strong backing from the country’s business elites and upper class.

Political analysts say Lula will face a tough, hard-fought battle in the coming election.