Brazilian President Lula promises to fight poverty
2023.01.01 13:49
Brazilian President Lula promises to fight poverty
Budrigannews.com – According to the leftist’s allies and confidants, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s imprisonment for 580 days gave him a renewed sense of social justice and convinced him that reducing poverty should take precedence over increasing profits.
One of the world’s most enduring political leaders, Lula, ran for president in 1989 and was sworn in on Sunday for an unprecedented third term.
Lula was convicted of graft and sentenced to prison in 2018, the year right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro was elected. In 2019, his convictions were overturned, allowing him to defeat Bolsonaro in the election in October.
Allies and confidants told Reuters that Lula is looking to his time in prison for inspiration as he tries to unite a nation divided by economic woes, a devastating pandemic, and Bolsonaro’s far-right populism.
He gained from three bombed official offers to restrain his liberal standards and reconcile with Brazil’s strong confidential area during his 2003-10 administration. Allies, on the other hand, stated that Lula 3.0 intends to intensify efforts to combat racism, eradicate hunger, and poverty, as well as award key cabinet positions to devoted Workers Party (PT) jail visitors.
Tarso Genro, a close associate of Lula and former PT governor of Rio Grande do Sul, stated, “Prison reinforced the sense that he has a duty above all to the poor in Brazil.” He went to major areas of strength for jail came out more grounded.”
Friends and allies asserted that the more ideological Lula who was released from jail in 2019 should not be a cause for concern. They added that he is still the same pragmatic individual who honed his persuasive skills as a union leader in the 1970s at the auto plants in Sao Paulo.
The former leader of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, who opposed the country’s apartheid for more than a quarter of a century, has been compared to Lula by aides.
However, many people on Faria Lima, also known as “Brazilian Wall Street,” who have fond memories of the business-friendly Lula of the early 2000s are holding their breath because they are concerned that increased social spending and a loyal cabinet will damage Brazil’s fiscal credibility and usher in a new era of statism marred by corruption.
According to economist Andre Perfeito, “The initial reaction to Lula 3.0 on Faria Lima is not favorable,” referring to the market drop following the announcement of Lula’s spending proposal. Since many investors bet on Bolsonaro’s victory and almost won, it stands to reason that they are dissatisfied.”
Some investors have also been troubled by recent cabinet appointments, including the appointment of PT leader Fernando Haddad as finance minister.
In addition, Lula recently appointed economist and stalwart of the PT Aloizio Mercadante as head of the BNDES, the national development bank. During previous governments led by the PT, the bank provided billions of reais in loans to projects that were accused of graft and waste, despite bank officials asserting that they were transparent.
Lula’s representative Jose Chrispiniano said the president upheld financial obligation and accepts that fortifying the economy is the most effective way to battle destitution.
“He does not see any contradiction between fostering growth and caring for the least fortunate. “On the contrary, he believes that sustainable growth is generated by caring for the poor and providing them with the opportunity to work and consume,” he told Reuters.
According to his website, reading books on race, slavery, hunger in prison, and Fidel Castro and Nelson Mandela biographies sparked Lula’s newfound social awareness. He also read Andre Singer, his former press secretary,’s critical review of his movement and its mistakes in “Lulismo in crisis.”
His relationship with Rosangela da Silva, or Janja, a PT activist 20 years his junior, whom he married after his release and who appears to be a key political player, added to it. When Lula’s first wife Mariza passed away the year before he went to jail, he became a widower.
Among the hundreds of PT adherents who camped outside Lula’s prison in the southern city of Curitiba, Janja assisted in organizing Lula’s election certification and Sunday’s inauguration.
His followers would chant, “Good morning, President Lula,” when the day started, and “Good night, President Lula,” when he went to bed.
Lula began reorganizing the PT and managing his legal defense from his 15-square-meter cell on the third floor of the Federal Police headquarters in Curitiba. He planned the unsuccessful presidential campaign of Haddad, a frequent visitor who lost in 2018 to Bolsonaro.
Lula stated that he wanted to be re-elected to clear his name in the people’s court when he was released from prison. He was determined to correct the record regarding his imprisonment. He characterized his incarceration as a political witch-hunt orchestrated by the right to prevent him from running for office in 2018.
PT Senator Humberto Costa, another close aide, stated that Lula matured politically while incarcerated.
Costa stated, “The need to leave his mark, not just politically but also historically, by bringing lasting change to Brazil was what drove him to run again.”
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