By Emily Gianni
Former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva beat Jeai Bolsonaro in the most recent presidential election in Brazil. A benefit of having Lula in office between 2003 and 2010 was an economic boom that lifted tens of millions of Brazilians out of poverty. He was later imprisoned for concurruption charges as part of a national investigation, but the conviction was later annulled. Lula has prioritized tackling inequality and a worsening hunger crisis in Brazil. He wants to introduce a debt forgiveness program, expand social housing, increase direct cash transfers, eliminate the cap on public spending, increase the taxes on the wealthy and strengthen the conservation efforts on the Amazon Rainforest.
Bolsonaro has presided over the highest Amazon deforestation rates in 15 years, compared to Lula who has enacted policies to protect the Amazon. Lula’s victory means that the rainforest stands a chance. During Lula’s first term in office (from 2003-2006), Amazon deforestation decreased by 43.7 percent and during his second term that lasted through 2010, it dropped by 52.3 percent.
In regards to how this election affects the world, Bolsonaro has embraced an anti-globalist point of view and blamed international institutions for affecting Brazil’s freedom. He threatened to withdraw from the World Health Organization and the Paris Agreement on climate. In contrast, the new president, Lula, has pledged to return Brazil to a role of supporting regional multilateral institutions. This will hopefully increase cooperation between Brazil and lower-income countries, create better relations with the United States and the European Union and rekindle Brazil’s leadership role in regional affairs. Most importantly, Lula wants to create a united country, as he said, “I will govern for 215 million Brazilians, and not just for those who voted for me. There are not two Brazils. We are one country, one people, one great nation.”