He knows the ups and downs of the life of a politician like no other: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who took office as president of Brazil for the third time on Sunday at the age of 77. After being banned from running in prison in 2018, the idol of the Latin American left triumphed in the second round of elections against right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro last October.
On New Year’s Day, Lula took his oath of office in Congress. He endorsed Bolsonaro’s “devastating” record and announced that he would “rebuild” the country with the people.
“End deforestation in the Amazon”
Lula is a beacon of hope outside Brazil, not least when it comes to climate protection: unlike his predecessor, he campaigns to save the Amazon rainforest. In his speech after being sworn in, Lula reiterated his goal to end deforestation in the Amazon.
The left-wing politician was already at the head of the largest South American country from 2003 to 2010. Then came his deep fall: between 2018 and 2019 he was imprisoned for more than a year and a half on corruption charges. However, his supporters saw the conviction as a political maneuver – the promising left-wing candidate was thus excluded from the presidential race, Bolsonaro won.
Then, in March 2021, the Supreme Court overturned Lula’s verdict for procedural violations – paving the way for his Phoenix-esque return. The charismatic politician threw himself into the election campaign against Bolsonaro, whose tenure was marked, among other things, by the dramatically increasing devastation of the Amazon rainforest and mismanagement of the corona pandemic.
Narrow election victory
However, Lula only won the election by a razor-thin margin – highlighting the extreme divisions of society in Brazil. The 77-year-old has a large following, especially in the poor segments of the population, but many Brazilians also see him as a symbol of corruption and vehemently reject it.
During the election campaign, Lula proclaimed: “The working class will fix the country, the elite cannot.” He himself grew up in great poverty, the seventh of eight children in a family of farm workers in the northeastern state of Pernambuco.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
