Faz o L

"Faz o L" (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈfa(j)z u ˈɛli], literally "do the L") is an informal mobilization slogan, and a reference to the hand gesture that was the hallmark of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's 2022 campaign. It has become a target of dispute between supporters of both Lula and his Workers' Party and of former president Jair Bolsonaro (Lula's main opponent in the 2022 election) on social media. On one side, Lula's supporters have been using the phrase to praise his management and mark contrasts with the previous administration; on the other, supporters of former president Bolsonaro have adopted the term ironically to criticize measures announced by the new government. According to David Nemer, a professor of media studies at the University of Virginia in the U.S. and an expert on Bolsonaro's WhatsApp groups, the slogan works as a meme, a way of bringing together various meanings. It has a sense of validation of the vote for both Lula's supporters and the other side, tends to reinforce bubbles, and is a way of keeping mobilization. By functioning as a meme, it facilitates digital communication. As of February 2023, it has been reported that it has been the opposition to the president, mainly Bolsonarists, who had adopted the expression the most.