By Oyintari Ben
Following a close run-off election on Sunday, Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva has been elected to be the next President of Brazil in an incredible comeback. After four years of Jair Bolsonaro’s far-right government, his triumph signals a political about-face for the biggest nation in Latin America.
With his victory, the 76-year-old politician brings the left back into power in Brazil and brings an end to a spectacular political comeback for Lula da Silva, who was imprisoned for 580 days following a slew of corruption allegations. His path to running for re-election was opened up when the Supreme Court later overturned the sentences.
In a triumphant speech to fans and journalists on Sunday night, he declared that the victory was his political “resurrection,” adding, “They attempted to bury me alive and I’m here.”
“I will rule for the 215 million Brazilians, not just the ones who voted for me, starting on January 1, 2023. There is only one Brazil. Lula da Silva added, “We are one nation—one people, one wonderful nation.
He will assume control of a nation that is still working to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and is racked by extreme inequality. Between 2019 and 2021, 9.6 million individuals lived below the poverty line, while rates of literacy and school attendance had declined. He will also have to deal with a severely divided country and pressing environmental problems, such as the widespread destruction of the Amazonian rainforest.
After already leading Brazil for two terms in a row between 2003 and 2010, this will be his third tenure.
The former president’s victory on Sunday was the most recent in a wave of left-leaning candidates winning elections around Latin America. But throughout his campaign, Lula da Silva—a former union leader with a blue-collar background—sought to reassure moderates.
