Brazil’s ‘Trump’ ousted in poll
Leftist Lula urges unity
SAO PAULO: President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has called for “peace and unity” in a bitterly divided Brazil, saying the country was no longer an international pariah, and highlighting the need for a “living Amazon”.
In his victory speech, Lula, as he is universally known, reached out to supporters and rivals, highlighting the need for “a Brazil of peace, democracy, and opportunity”. He touched on gender and racial equality and the urgent need to deal with a hunger crisis affecting 33.1 million Brazilians.
“The wheel of the economy will turn again,” he promised.
Lula won the closely fought contest with 50.9 per cent of the vote to far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro’s 49.1 per cent.
The election campaign was marred by accusations of fraud by Mr Bolsonaro, whose son Flavio said it was likely his father would refuse to recognise the election if he lost – using language almost identical to Donald Trump’s.
He described it as “the greatest election fraud ever seen” against his father, who is known to be an ardent fan of the former US president.
In an attempt to ease the tensions, Lula – who was previously elected president in 2003 – said it was “in no one’s interest to live in a divided nation in a permanent state of war”, adding: “This country needs peace and unity. This population doesn’t want to fight anymore.”
The 77-year-old leftist has vowed to serve all 215 million Brazilians, and not only those who voted for him, as he signalled that Brazil was ready to take its place again on the international stage, after Mr Bolsonaro’s far-right tenure.
“Today we tell the world that Brazil is back. It is too big to be banished to this sad role of global pariah,” he said.
All eyes in Western capitals had been on the outcome of the election, with the future of the Amazon rainforest and its impact on the global climate emergency at stake.
Mr Bolsonaro supported businesses including farming and logging that were rapidly destroying the rainforest, known as “the Earth’s lungs”.
“Brazil is ready to take back its role in the fight against the climate crisis, protecting all of our biomes, especially the Amazon forest,” Lula said.
“Brazil and the planet need a living Amazon.”
Lula rose from poverty to become Brazil’s president before crashing into disgrace in a corruption scandal. Just 18 months ago, the bearded leftist hero with the trademark raspy voice was a political pariah, imprisoned in a corruption scandal that divided the nation.
Disgust with his Workers’ Party propelled Mr Bolsonaro into office in 2018. However, the vitriolic and divisive conservative quickly lost popularity as he oversaw Covid-19 carnage, environmental destruction, and made frequent comments criticised as being racist, sexist and homophobic.
“We need to fix this country … so Brazilian people can smile again,” Lula said, marking his dramatic political comeback.