Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has turned a protest song by Bad Bunny into a political weapon. The president shared a Portuguese-language version of “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii” on X, adapting the Puerto Rican anthem for a message about Brazilian sovereignty.
The move comes as tensions rise between Brazil and the United States ahead of October’s local elections. Lula has spent recent weeks warning against foreign interference in the vote. At the UN General Assembly earlier this week, he said, “Brazil is nobody’s backyard.”
The Song’s Story
“LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii” is a protest anthem about Puerto Rican identity. It draws parallels between Puerto Rico and Hawaii while addressing gentrification, US influence, privatization, and the preservation of Puerto Rican culture.
Bad Bunny’s team authorized the campaign’s use of the song, according to Brazilian news outlet G1 (Globo).
Lula’s Message
In the caption accompanying the video, Lula wrote:
- “Our strength does not bend, our flag does not surrender, and our sovereignty has no price.”
- “The future of Brazil belongs to those who cultivate life and protect their land.”
The video was posted September 23, 2026.
Why the Song Works
Lula is facing a main challenger with his own foreign ties. Flávio Bolsonaro met with Trump earlier this year and has highlighted support from other right-wing leaders abroad.
Lula has accused opposing candidates of aligning themselves with foreign interests, though the accusations remain unresolved.
By adopting a song about resisting US influence in Puerto Rico, Lula is making a direct comparison. He is suggesting that Bolsonaro’s foreign ties are a threat to Brazilian sovereignty in the same way US influence threatened Puerto Rican identity in the original song.
The Video’s Reach
Lula’s office, LulaOficial, posted the adaptation, and the president’s own account promoted it.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs the spirit of the protest song as an expression of individual freedom and small cultural identity, and is against Lula’s adaptation of it as a political weapon for gathering state power over Brazilian sovereignty. The song’s original meaning was about Puerto Rican resistance to US influence; Lula has turned it into a tool for warning against foreign interference in Brazil’s own elections. That is a real difference, and the paper marks it.
The paper’s north star includes individual freedom and small business, with a watchful eye on concentrations of power in government and business alike. Lula’s move gathers power around a song meant to resist power, which is exactly the kind of inversion the paper watches for.
What readers should watch for is whether Lula’s use of the song carries over into other campaigns, turning individual expressions of identity into state-backed messages about national interest. The paper will keep watching the elections ahead to see if Lula’s message lands.
Key Facts
- Song: “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii” by Bad Bunny
- Adaptation: Portuguese-language version shared by Lula
- Posted: September 23, 2026
- Authorized: Yes, by Bad Bunny’s team
What Comes Next
The October elections will test whether Lula’s message lands. Bolsonaro’s camp has its own playbook, and the race could come down to which candidate voters trust to represent Brazil’s interests.
For now, Lula has made his position clear. He is using a song about Puerto Rican resistance to push back on Bolsonaro’s foreign ties, and the song’s theme of resisting outside pressure directly supports his argument.
Whether the move changes the outcome remains to be seen. But the video has already done its job: it has put the question of sovereignty at the center of the campaign.
See the video the story is built around at Consequence.
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