After nearly 20 years, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been re-elected as Brazil’s President. Lula, who was earlier President from 2003 to 2010, defeated his right-wing rival Jair Bolsonaro by a narrow margin.
But it was enough to send Lula’s supporters into the streets of Brazil in celebration. The President-elect, who served 580 days in jail before being acquitted off corruption charges, has promised to re-unite a bitterly divided country. Interestingly, Bolsonaro is yet to concede defeat.
A whole procession of world leaders, ranging from Russia’s Vladimir Putin to America’s Joe Biden, have congratulated the 77-year-old Lula, who is credited with pulling millions of people out of poverty during his earlier stint as President.
So, what does Lula’s election mean for Brazil? And can the new President actually unite a divided nation, something that has become a feature of many modern democracies.
Guest: Varun Sahni, Professor in International Politics, Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Host: Amit Baruah, Senior Associate Editor, The Hindu.
Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian
Listen to more In Focus podcasts:
