Lula back in power in Brazil

Articoli (Articles)
Ludovica Costantini
05 November 2022
5 minutes

Translated by Alvise Cecchetti

On the 30^th of October Brazil saw the second round of the general elections: almost a month ago citizens were not able to express a President through their votes, bringing the two most voted candidates to ballot. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has confirmed his political resurrection: after being president for eight years and having concluded his mandate with high popularity, after being imprisoned for corruption, his condemn has been overturned. With 50.84% of votes against 49.16%, Lula has defeated Bolsonaro, who has become the first Brazilian president who has not been re-elected for a second mandate after the introduction of such possibility in 1997. Hence, Lula won with a minimum margin the elections this Sunday according to the Superior Electoral Court and now is back to power after having defeated Bolsonaro in a fight that has divided the greatest democracy of Latin America between two ideological opponents. Moreover, Lula has also won with the most subtle margin in Brazilian political history since 1989, when democracy has been reinstated after the dictatorship. With him the left rises again to power after the most conservative government in the entire Brazilian history.

Brazilians have chosen between two known politicians at the end of the most noxious electoral campaign ever had in the country, tormented by lies and low blows. For the leftist candidate, it was a choice between democracy and barbarity. For his contender, a duel between “Good and Evil”. A dilemma between converging towards the centre or continuing towards the direction chosen four years ago.

With Lula, Brazil is expected to play again a primary role on the international arena, pushed by the entire Latin America who is consolidating its leftist path, as emerged in previous elections. After the victory of the founder of the Labours’ Party (PT), for the first time in history, the five main economies of the regions will be ruled by progressives. Shortly after the victory of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at ballots, groups of truck drivers loyal to Bolsonaro and other supporters of the current president have started to close roads. Until the following day there have been 342 protests with partial or total blocks in the 26 states of the country said the Federal Traffic Police

Bolsonaro himself did not release any press declaration for some hours after the announcement of the electoral results, fuelling the idea that he could not recognize the outcomes of the elections and the mandate of his successor. On Tuesday, November the 1^st, he broke the silence avoiding to explicitly recognize Lula’s victory but declaring that he would “respect Brazilian Constitution” and the democratic values conveyed by it. Bolsonaro has moreover, condemned the traffic blocks that his supporters created in several parts of the country to protest against his defeat although understanding the “deep sense of injustice” which animated them.

Aware of the importance of his victory, in his first words after the final electoral results from a hotel in San Paolo, Lula expressed his will to continue ruling for the entire country. “I will rule for 215 millions of Brazilians. There are not two Brazils, there is only one Country, one People, one great Nation” he proclaimed. He has also underlined what his return to power means. “I consider myself a citizen that has lived through a resurrection process. They have tried to bury me alive and now here I stand.” With his return, Lula believes that Democracy in Brazil has been revitalized. “It is not a victory for me, nor for the Labour’s Party nor for the parties that have supported me, but is the victory of a great democratic movement over personal parties and personal interests. His priority is the same since 2003: “Our greatest efforts is again to end hunger in Brazil.” Shortly after the certification of his victory, a mass has reached Avenida Paulista, the greatest street in San Paolo. Despite the pressings of the economic power, Lula has avoided giving details related to the way he intends pursue his ambitious targets without forsaking balanced budget, fiscal responsibility, even omitting the name of the next Minister of Economic Affairs

Lula will have to carefully think his next moves: he has a titanic task to deal with because “Bolsonarism” has conquered the most numerous parliamentary group at the Congress and meanwhile, more than 33 millions of Brazilians suffer from hunger, poverty is rising, economic growth is imperceptible and the international situation is complicate.

Bolsonarism has also succeeded in reinforce his parliamentary power with a victory in San Paolo, the most populous and rich state. His next governor will be Tarcisio de Freitas, an ex-soldier and former Minister of Infrastructure who has defeated Fernando Haddad, considered by Lula as perfect presidential candidate 4 years ago while he was in prison.

After the Brazilian electoral results, the Left in Latin America is getting things back on an even keel, it prolongs his long cycle of electoral wins and overcome the obstacle found in the refusal of the last Constitution in the Chilean Plebiscite. Indeed, the leaders of the other major economies in the region were the first ones to congratulate the newly elected Brazilian President. With “Viva Lula”, the Colombian President Petro has celebrated the advantage during the scrutiny. He was followed by the Messican Andrés Manuel López Obrador, afterwards Boric from Chile and Alberto Fernández from Argentina. After the victories of Boric in Chile and Petro in Colombia, the return to power of the founder of the Labours’ Party not just will reinforce this block, but will also reconfigure the map of leaderships.

Fonti consultate per il presente articolo:

https://elpais.com/internacion...

https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noti...