‘Lula’ da Silva and Bolsonaro, two opposing candidates with government experience

First modification: 05/10/2022 – 02:41

The first round of the presidential elections in Brazil glimpsed a country divided between two frontally opposed candidates: Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva and Jair Bolsonaro. Two politicians who defend very different models and who have experience leading the Brazilian nation.

Lula da Silva came to power in 2003. This metal worker and trade unionist, of humble origins, enjoyed great fame and respect among the Brazilian working class and after three failed elections, he was able to reach the presidency of his country. with a progressive discourse that was based on lifting millions of families out of poverty.

This is how he referred to his arrival at the presidency just a few days after his election in the second round in September 2002: “The truth is that we are very close to the greatest historical event in this country, which is electing a man who came out of the factory to be named president of the republic of the most important country in Latin America, the most important country in South America”.

The fight against poverty marked the Lula government

Since the beginning of his mandate, several programs have been developed to combat hunger, inequality and help the poorest in finding homes. However, his star measure was Bolsa Familia, a direct aid of 170 Brazilian reais a month -about 30 dollars-, which was intended to cover the most essential expenses of the poorest families. Its application was a success, since according to the Inter-American Development Bank almost 25% of the population benefited from this aid. All this costing barely 0.5% of the Brazilian GDP.

Its fight against poverty was also accompanied by spectacular economic growth. His social policies created a new middle class capable of assuming greater consumption, something that benefited the market. In addition, Brazil became a benchmark in international trade thanks to the exports of raw materials at a time when they were highly valued abroad, making Lula a symbol of the Latin American left and of countries with economies Developing. Aspects that raised his popularity until the end of his term.

Corruption investigations cornered the leftist leader and his party

But during the government of his successor Dilma Rousseff, his situation began to change when several corruption investigations surrounded him and people from his party.

The former president was accused of money laundering and indirect illegal financing in the framework of the Lava Jato operation, one of the largest corruption schemes in history, which involved thousands of officials and hundreds of companies. This issue caused his reputation to disappear and led him to prison for more than 20 months, preventing him from running in the 2018 elections.

However, the former president was released at the end of 2019, after it was discovered that Judge Sergio Moro had violated his rights and committed prevarication by having sent him to preventive prison. The numerous investigations that Lula had against him were annulled due to a formal defect or resulted in acquittals, something that allowed him to return to political life to run for the 2022 presidential elections.

Elections in which he had to face Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right politician whose figure began to stand out precisely in the midst of the discredit against the Workers’ Party for corruption. A situation that was added to the political crisis during the government of Dilma Rousseff and that ended with her dismissal in 2016 through an ‘impeachment’.

Jair Bolsonaro, a president ultra marked by controversy

Jair Bolsonaro managed to win the 2018 elections with a speech in which he prioritized the fight against corruption and the promise of ultraliberal policies that would calm the discomfort of the middle and upper classes with the spending on social aid that the Party of the Workers, policies that many considered an “inadmissible” cost and a way to encourage the poorest not to work.

The Brazilian president was also characterized by his constant polemics and his polarizing speech. During his four years, access to buy weapons was facilitated, increasing their sale by 300%, the agenda of ultraconservative groups such as the evangelists was privileged or the negative effect of deforestation in the Amazon was denied, something that increased its destruction.

Although probably his greatest controversy occurred during the pandemic, because the Brazilian president was one of the most skeptical global leaders regarding the severity of the virus. A position that made him reject massive confinements and that led him to question the effectiveness of vaccines and even the origin of the virus, accusing China of its creation.

In addition, the health crisis led to a deep economic crisis that forced him to back down on his intentions to eliminate social assistance from Bolsa Familia. And, although he ended the flagship program of ‘Lulism’, he created another called Auxilio Brasil, which served to win support among the most impoverished sectors, although the truth is that its future and viability is questioned after the elections of 2022.

It is with this context that the two candidates arrive at a particularly polarized second round, where two models of country and society face each other.