Lula da Silva promises to “rebuild Brazil” and revive its social programs in a new term

On October 2, Brazilians will elect their next leader. Brazil is the largest country in Latin America and one of the largest in the world, with an area of ​​8.5 million square kilometers, more than 212 million people and the tenth largest economy in the world.

The candidates leading the electoral investigations are the current president, Jair Bolsonaro, and former president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, known as Lula.

This Sunday took place the first presidential debate, in which both politicians criticized each other and exchanged accusations. Bolsonaro called Lula, 76, a “thief,” alluding to the Lava Jato corruption scandal that rocked the country. The investigation landed Lula in prison from 2018 to 2019 on controversial corruption charges, overturned by the Supreme Court last year.

Lula responded that Bolsonaro was spreading “lies” and accused him of destroying the legacy of economic growth and anti-poverty initiatives that Lula left behind as president. “This country has been destroyed,” Lula said.

Also read: Bolsonaro promises a “new Brazil” after turbulent times due to the pandemic and the crisis

Lula and the impact of his social policies

Lula is a member of the left-wing Workers’ Party (PT) and served as president from 2003 to 2011. Of humble origins, he was the first worker to be elected president of the Republic.

During his eight-year term, he implemented policies to reduce poverty and wage inequality and improve the quality of life for those most in need.

His government created the Bolsa Familia, a government program that offered financial aid to the poorest. According to the Institute of Applied Economic Research, the Bolsa Família helped 3.4 million Brazilians to get out of extreme poverty. In 2014 Brazil was removed from the UN Hunger Map.

To receive government support, parents were required to enroll their children in school. This requirement caused a reduction in child labor rates. In addition, the program required families to have all their vaccinations up to date, which led to improved health. Infant mortality was 17% lower among families that received financial support, compared to those that did not participate in Bolsa Familia.

The “Minha Casa Minha Vida” program, created in 2009 by the Lula government, subsidized the purchase of houses for low-income families. The program brought housing units to towns lacking public services. This measure provided a home for people living in poverty.

Likewise, the construction of the Minha Casa Minha Vida houses provided jobs for 3.5 million Brazilians, a fundamental economic achievement for the Lula government.

corruption scandals

In 2005, one of the biggest corruption scandals in Brazil was discovered, carried out by politicians affiliated with the PT. A scheme known as “Mensalão” diverted public money from social services, such as hospitals and public schools.

Politicians used these public resources to pay federal deputies, buying their votes on PT project proposals, according to prosecutors.

Pedro Correa, a former federal deputy, declared that Lula, who was the leader of the party, had “full knowledge of the Mensalão bribes.”

In 2018, Lula was sentenced to 12 years and one month in prison for corruption and money laundering.

That was not the first time that Lula had been sentenced for corruption. In 2017 he was sentenced to nine years and six months by Judge Sergio Moro.

According to prosecutors, through bribes from the contractor Odebrecht, Lula would have accumulated a total of 2.2 million Brazilian reais, equivalent to about 433,599.88 dollars.

They also accused Lula of favoring certain companies in exchange for money or property, as in the case of the construction company OAS, which received preference from the Lula government to carry out public works in exchange for a luxury triplex apartment in Guaruja.

However, this and other accusations of corruption against Lula were annulled by Minister Edson Fachin, of the Federal Supreme Court, who argued that there was no connection between Lula and the bribes.

Elections 2022: “We are going to rebuild Brazil”

Alongside the former governor of São Paulo, Geraldo Alckmin, Lula promises in his current campaign to “rebuild Brazil”.

One of his main proposals is the return of the Bolsa Familia program, which was eliminated during the Bolsonaro mandate.

Lula says that he fights for a country without hunger, where “there is never a lack of food on the table.”

He also promotes the protection of the environment and is committed to combating illegal mining, especially in the Amazon, and his campaign advocates for better regulations of the mining industry.

If elected president, Lula proposes to develop the national production of oil-derived resources, aspiring to national self-sufficiency and price reduction.

What do the polls say about Lula?

According to a survey by the Datafolha institute, Lula leads with 47% of the votes in the first round, while Bolsonaro guarantees 28%.

Lula would also win in the second round, with a total of 57% of the votes against 34% for Bolsonaro.

Datafolha reports that 55% of the people who participated in the investigation “refuse to vote for Bolsonaro.” The groups that stand out are young people and students, of which 60% and 62%, respectively, refuse to vote for the current president.

Although most young people do not believe that Bolsonaro should remain in power, many plan to vote for him over Lula.

International Relations student Luiza Badelucci Seba, 20, said that “it is really sad that a person with a criminal past like Lula’s is allowed to be a candidate again.”

“Although Lula has been legally exonerated, it is proven that he was one of the most corrupt leaders in the country’s history,” he added.

Seba also fears for freedom of expression if Lula is elected president. “[Lula] wants to heavily censor media channels,” said the student.

According to a Estadão opinion pieceLula believes that the media cannot publish “whatever they want.” Brazil reported that the PT has declared that, if elected, he is going to take up the project to regulate the electronic media, which many believe would be “unconstitutional.”

However, according to the updated version of its text of government proposals for the 2022-2026 mandate, the party will “act so that Brazil is once again considered a country where the free exercise of professional journalism is safe,” and promises to protect journalists and a free press.

Brazilian law student Fernando Teixeira, 20, affirms that he is “in no way” going to vote for Bolsonaro and defends the leftist candidate.

The student praised Lula’s social initiatives, such as the Bolsa Familia, which helped both the economy and the country’s poorest citizens, and criticized Bolsonaro’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, when he called COVID-19 a “little cold.” ”, in the national media.

Monica Dias de Abreu, a Brazilian housewife, said she refuses to vote for Lula given the candidate’s criminal record. “I refuse to vote for a thief for president of my country,” she settled.

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