Inaugurating 2023, the inauguration of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as the new president of Brazil was marked by several symbols, such as the delivery of the presidential sash by representatives of the people, after Bolsonaro’s refusal and his departure from the country for the United States.
At the age of 77, the historic union leader and one of the founders of the Workers’ Party (PT) returns for the third time to the Presidency of Brazil, after the end of Jair Bolsonaro’s government, characterized by authoritarian practices, the exaltation of the military dictatorship and significant setbacks economic and social.
Lula won the elections with more than 60 million votes, equivalent to 50.9% of the valid votes. Although the difference between the two was only two million votes, the electoral process was marked by difficulties and threats from former President Bolsonaro and his supporters.
In a context of polarization and political violence, attempts to affect the outcome of the elections included actions such as buying votes and large-scale political support in exchange for resources, criticism of the transparency of the electoral system, threats of a coup d’état and blockades and controls. illegal on the country’s highways by the PRF (Federal Highway Police). These last actions, carried out on election day, would aim to delay or prevent voters from voting, especially in the Northeast, where the majority of PT supporters live.
Furthermore, after the announcement of the election results, Bolsonaristas _often supported by the police and military_ protested against Lula’s victory, blocking the roads and gathering in front of the barracks to ask for military intervention.
In addition, on January 8, supporters of Bolsonaro, who had the support of the security forces, attacked the Three Powers of the Republic, invading the National Congress and vandalizing the STF and the Planalto, in acts publicly considered as coup plotters and terrorists.
However, Lula’s victory was the result of the formation of the largest broad front in the country’s contemporary history and represents the triumph of democracy in the face of the greatest threat of authoritarian regression in Brazil since 1985.
His return to power is also the story of resilience and overcoming of a political leader barred from participating in the 2018 elections, condemned by Operation Lava Jato, in processes from which he was later acquitted due to lack of evidence.
On January 1, despite the tense atmosphere and bomb threats in the capital, Lula chose to ride in the presidential car alongside Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and their respective spouses. In his inaugural speech, without renouncing his criticism of the Bolsonaro administration and the need to judge the mistakes and alleged crimes committed, the new president assumed an optimistic and conciliatory tone.
He stated that his government will have the task of unifying, pacifying and rebuilding Brazil. Lula also said that he will govern for the 215 million Brazilians and that he will seek to consolidate democracy and promote a model of sustainable development that prioritizes social justice, the fight against hunger, poverty and inequality.
On the economic front, the new president announced his desire to reactivate the economy, promote industrialization and reduce the country’s dependence, strengthening traditional productive sectors and normally neglected areas, such as science, culture and the environment.
With regard to international relations, Lula said that Brazil is back and that he will seek to promote the country’s international protagonism, along with the environmental and climate agenda, active and proud dialogue with the United States, the European Union, China , the Brics and other actors, as well as through cooperation and the promotion of regional integration through Mercosur and the reactivation of blocs such as Unasur.
The cabinet of 37 ministers announced by Lula is a reflection of his political program and the diversity of the country he seeks to represent. It includes 11 female ministers, almost 30% of portfolios held by women, a record in the history of the Republic and an important step for a country that ranks 108th in the Political Empowerment Index of the Global Report on Gender Inequality.
Among the names chosen are Marina Silva, ecologist and Minister of the Environment and Climate Change; Simone Tebet, former rival of Lula in the 2022 elections and current Minister of Planning; as well as Anielle Franco, Minister of Racial Equality and sister of Marielle Franco, former Rio de Janeiro councilor murdered in 2018.
In a country that has almost 700,000 deaths from Covid-19 and that until recently was governed by anti-scientific positions, the choice of Nísia Trindade to head the Ministry of Health is also good news.
In order to address Brazil’s serious problems of inequality, representation and discrimination, the new government will also have five ministries headed by people of African descent. And, in an unprecedented way, the first Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, led by Sonia Guajajara, indigenous leader and politician, executive coordinator of the Articulação dos Povos Indígenas do Brasil.
There is, however, a great distance between theory and practice. The country and the world today are different and more complex than the scenario that Lula found in his first term. The legacy of mistakes, extremism and exclusion left by Bolsonaro also makes Lula’s promises difficult to fulfill.
The transition cabinet’s report shows a process of dismantling the State and public policies in the country, with severe setbacks in areas such as health, education, environment, employment, racial and gender equality.
It is worth mentioning that Brazil has once again entered the hunger map and that today more than 33 million Brazilians suffer from this scourge and more than 125 million, that is, more than half of the population, live with some degree of food insecurity. In addition, the economy is in crisis and the opposition, which has a majority in Congress, will govern 13 of the 27 states of the Union.
Even in these conditions, due to the pragmatism of the policy and the need to unify and rebuild the country, especially after the coup attack on the Three Powers, there is room for hope.
From now on, Brazil will play a key role in strengthening multilateralism and solving urgent global problems such as the environmental and climate crisis. At the regional level, it will also play an essential role in promoting cooperation, democratization and integration in Latin America. Let’s hope it succeeds.
With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
