Brazil’s former president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has been inaugurated for his third term as the country’s leader after defeating incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in the October presidential election, according to BBC News.
Lula received 50.9% of the votes in a divisive campaign that pitted two rival candidates with opposing political views against each other.
This marks a significant comeback for Lula, who was previously barred from running in the 2018 presidential election due to a corruption conviction.
In 2017, he was found guilty of accepting a bribe from a construction company in exchange for contracts with state-owned Petrobras.
Lula served 580 days in prison before his conviction was overturned, allowing him to reenter the political arena.
The election has highlighted deep divisions within Brazil, which are unlikely to disappear in the near future.
Lula co-founded the Foro de Sao Paulo, a secretive political conference with communist sympathies, with Cuban leader Fidel Castro. The conference, which aims to guide communism in a post-Soviet world, has faced criticism for its association with Castro, who has been accused of committing numerous human rights abuses and crimes during his time in power.
While Lula has strong international connections, some have raised questions about their nature. For example, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered his congratulations on Lula’s victory, citing his “impressive political authority.”
The WEF has referred to Lula as an “agenda contributor” and even awarded him the Global Statesmanship Award in 2010, during his first presidency.
Lula has also written an article for the WEF website entitled “How Europe and Latin America Can Work Together to Tackle Climate Change.”
Lula’s victory in the recent Brazilian election marks a significant shift in the country’s political landscape. It remains to be seen how these changes will impact the country and its relations with the international community. It is crucial that the new president works to govern in the best interests of the Brazilian people.
