Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva: The newly elected president of Brazil with a chequered past

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, popularly known as Lula, became the new president of Brazil after defeating the incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in a close-fought election on Monday. The leftist leader won 50.8 per cent of votes while his right-wing opponent finished with 49.2 per cent of all valid votes.

Lula is no stranger to the President’s office as the 77-year-old held the position for two terms from 2003 to 2011. Such was his popularity and approval ratings in Brazil that former United States President Barack Obama once called him “the most popular president on Earth”.

The former factory worker, who was well-known for his work with trade unions, rose to popularity among the leftist movement in the 1980s. It was a direct response to Brazil’s military dictatorship of the period and Lula went on to form the Workers’ party (PT) along with other leftist leaders.

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While he was quite popular with a majority of the country’s population, Lula failed to win the presidential elections in both 1994 and 1998. The leftist voters kept supporting his campaigns but an opposition from factory owners and big businesses meant that his dream remained unfulfilled.

However, with strategic partnerships with business leaders and a stronger coalition, Lula finally won the elections in 2002. What followed was a golden period for the Brazilian economy with a lucrative trade deal with China and the impact of two major events - 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics.

However, his two terms as President were not without controversies. While Lula’s approval ratings remained at an all-time high, his government was embroiled in multiple corruption scandals. The accusations continued even when Dilma Rousseff - Lula’s handpicked successor – became president and in 2016, the reigning PT government had to let go of their position amid rising tensions.

In 2018, Lula was also convicted on corruption charges and was sent to prison along with few politicians from his party. The newly elected president of Brazil spent 580 days in jail before the charges were dropped and he was eligible to compete for the position once again.

Lula went on to challenge Bolsonaro on a pro-development platform and even gained support from the indigenous population of the country who were not happy with the current regime. He also gained support from his existing left-leaning voter case and while Bolsonaro’s pitch of a more traditional Brazil remained popular, it was not enough to stop the re-emergence of Lula.