Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said he intends to seek re-election in 2026, a move that would make him the first leader in the country’s history to win the presidency four times. “If everything goes as I’m thinking, this country will have, for the first time, a president elected four times,” the 79-year-old told an audience at a Petrobras event in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro. Lula used the same speech to rebut speculation that his administration is losing momentum, stressing that he still has “a year and a half of mandate” and that Congress has approved 99 percent of his legislative agenda. He denied any “war” between the branches and called disagreements with lawmakers “good” because they force negotiation. His conciliatory tone follows a dispute over the Imposto sobre Operações Financeiras (IOF) after legislators overturned a presidential decree raising the tax. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has since suspended both the government and congressional actions and summoned the two sides to a conciliation hearing on 15 July. The remarks came during the announcement of R$ 33 billion in Petrobras investments aimed at expanding refining and petrochemical capacity in Rio de Janeiro, a program the state-controlled oil company says could create more than 38,000 direct and indirect jobs. Lula’s prospective bid would test voter sentiment amid sagging approval. A Paraná Pesquisas survey released last week found 56.7 percent of Brazilians disapprove of his administration, while 39.8 percent approve.