First modification:
In France 24 we review the story of the young man from a humble family who became a union leader, aspired to the presidency and, after three failed attempts, became the first president of working-class origins in his country. And how from the peak of his popularity he fell to ostracism due to accusations of corruption, so that later his figure would be reborn and win the presidential elections against Jair Bolsonaro in 2022.
The victory of Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva in the 2022 Brazilian presidential elections is a new chapter in the life of this charismatic leader of the Latin American left. A pivotal figure in the recent political and social history of his nation, he returned to the presidency 12 years later with the promise to “rebuild” his country. That is why in France 24 we review his origins and his career.
‘Lula’ da Silva is the seventh child of an extremely poor family in the state of Pernambuco. Born in 1945, he emigrated with his relatives to the state of Sao Paulo as a child and from an early age had to drop out of school. ‘Lula’ worked as a street vendor and shoe shiner since he was a child, until at the age of 15 he learned the trade of a lathe operator in the metallurgical industry. A profession that would bring him closer to trade unionism and would form his political vision.
A life linked to trade unionism and the fight against the dictatorship that led him to politics
At the age of 23, he became involved in the Metallurgical Union and began a fight for labor rights in a sector as precarious as the metallurgical sector, which even led him to lose his little finger while working. In addition, his labor demands went hand in hand with the rejection of the military dictatorship that took power in Brazil after a coup in 1964, something that would make him a nationally recognized figure among the working class.
In this search for democracy, ‘Lula’ was one of those responsible for founding the Workers’ Party in 1980 and became its leader thanks to the great charisma he showed in the strikes and mass demonstrations when he made speeches. His political struggle even led him to be condemned by the dictatorship, although after the return of democracy in 1986, he was able to be elected deputy.
During these years, ‘Lula’ da Silva became the main opponent of the ruling party, running for office in three consecutive elections between 1989 and 1998. However, he lost those elections because his party, which was of a Trotskyist nature, presented itself with proposals considered “radical” by the Brazilian middle class.
Something that made, over time, ‘Lula’ moderate his proposal to gain political strength from the end of the 90s, in the midst of the economic crisis that Brazil was experiencing. This is how ‘Lula’ spoke of the government of Fernando Henrique Cardoso in 1998: “The President of the Republic is lying to Brazilian society. He only knows how to serve the interests of international speculators and the policy of increasing interest rates. That means more unemployment, bankruptcy of industries and agriculture. It will make the rich richer and the poor poorer.”
The first president of working-class origins implemented policies to help the poorest
The political promise of ‘Lula’ always revolved around improving the quality of life of the millions of poor people in Brazil, one of the most unequal nations in the world. His speech made a lot of sense because of his humble past and made him win the elections, after three failed attempts, in 2002. ‘Lula’ became the first president of working-class origins to be elected in his country.
His government focused on promoting various social assistance programs for the poorest people. Of all of them, the most recognized was ‘Bolsa Familia’, a basic aid that provided about 30 dollars a month to almost 25% of the population. Its application was very positive and it is estimated that these measures lifted some 30 million people out of poverty.
A success that was accompanied by very important economic growth thanks to the boom in raw material exports. ‘Lula’ obtained a great approval that made him re-elected in 2006 and, internationally, Brazil gained great recognition and became a benchmark in Latin America and among developing economies.
The ghost of corruption took him to jail and almost ended his political figure
The legacy of ‘Lula’ was collected from 2010 by his successor Dilma Rousseff, but it was after his withdrawal from politics that the problems arose. His party was involved in numerous corruption scandals, Dilma suffered an impeachment process by parliament in 2016 and ‘Lula’ himself was accused of money laundering and passive corruption in the framework of a scheme called ‘Lava Jato’ ‘ which involved dozens of Brazilian companies and politicians. This came to hit his reputation and the Workers’ Party hard.
These suspicions made Judge Sergio Moro take him to jail for more than 500 days and remove him from being able to practice as a politician. Although, in 2019, ‘Lula’ left prison after his imprisonment was declared inadmissible and all the complaints he had against him were suspended or filed due to a formal defect. The Supreme Court of Brazil considered that Judge Sergio Moro prevaricated against ‘Lula’ and curtailed his freedom, for which all investigations for corruption were eliminated. Although it was never known whether ‘Lula’ was guilty or innocent of them.
The release from prison and his ‘resurrection’ as leader of the left
After his release, ‘Lula’ ran as the favorite option to stand up to President Jair Bolsonaro. Something that finally happened. After a campaign marked by polarization and political confrontation, ‘Lula’ managed to prevail over far-right president Jair Bolsonaro and win a third term with a speech that sought to confront ultra-conservative policies and return to the golden years of his presidency.
However, this will not be easy, since the Brazil in which ‘Lula’ won in 2022 is not the same as the one that won in 2002. Since the country is highly polarized and ‘Bolsonarism’, his main political rival, has shown that he is here to stay.
