The Wall_Spring 2023_Issue 9

On the 30th October we learnt that the socialist politician Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva had been elected president of Brazil, replacing Jair Bolsonaro, a populist who was (and is) idolised by the far right and who remains popular with many voters in Brazil. Indeed, Lula won by the tightest of margins, a mere 1.8%, but his victory brings with it a U-turn in terms of how the country will be run, given that Lula – as he is widely known – is a socialist who makes no secret of his desire to redistribute wealth in a country where luxury and poverty often live side by side. Lula’s victory also represented a remarkable comeback for a man who has already been president once before but had been jailed and banned from standing in office because of accusations of money laundering and corruption, which had led to a nine-and-a-half-year sentence.As President, Bolsonaro repeatedly stated that the only way that Lula could make a comeback would be by cheating but this vote showed that Lula could win two-month transition period before Lula is sworn in proved accurate, as the parliament in Brasilia was stormed by Bolsonaro supporters, though their protests were soon supressed. It can’t be denied that the election has divided Brazil, a country where politics is taken as seriously as football, which really is saying something, given that football is almost a religion there.The first round of voting took place on 2nd October, and the election became news here in the UK when BBC iPlayer released a documentary series that focused on the main issues in Brazilian politics.We were shown videos of the Bolsonaro voters parading the streets, burning barriers on the road and Emily Gates, (she/her), LVI, Explores what the future could hold for Latin America’s biggest country fairly and cleanly. Concerns that Bolsonaro might complicate the

rioting.They managed to block off main roads by laying down flags and images of their leader in order to raise awareness of the election that was due to take place, as his supporters knew that it would be a close call between the two main contenders.These road protests arose because of Bolsonaro’s backing from lorry drivers, who have benefitted from the low cost of fuel during Bolsonaro’s administration.Tension flared between both candidates and there was a major concern that the voting system might be rigged in favour of one candidate or the other, with Bolsonaro attracting the majority of suspicions. On the day of the election, this culminated in Bolsonaro supporting traffic police closing roads suddenly when they were informed that Lula supporters were parading along them. In the end, 80% of people voted, a good turn even though voting is, in fact, mandatory in Brazil. However, on the 13th of December tensions rose after the police arrested a pro-Bolsonaro leader even after he was defeated.This caused upheaval in Brazil as Bolsonaro supporters set alight several vehicles and blocked a number of roads, causing maximum turbulence within the busy city of São Paulo. Police said they had no choice but to use rubber bullets and tear gas on protesters who had invaded the federal police building. The anger of the people was displayed again on the 8th of January when Brazil’s attorney general had to file an indictment against 39 people for their alleged involvement in the storming on the Senate. Dozens of police officers were left injured after this event and the events were condemned by President Lula and other world leaders.The individuals responsible had assets to the tune of $7.7 million frozen to cover repairs for the damage they did to the building. Bolsonaro admitted he is

regretful about how the people had acted but this did not change their passion and desire for him to be back in power. The first challenge that will face Lula is uniting a divided country, as the legions of Bolsonaro supporters are likely to make Lula’s life very hard when trying to revive the country and bringing back some resemblance of democracy.The people of Brazil, as well as Bolsonaro, need to accept that they have lost and support the new governing party.As at the moment Bolsonaro is being as disruptive to Brazil as Trump was to America when he had to leave theWhite House.The main thing that Brazil need right now is peace, and Lula would seem to be ideal for this role. Over the last two days the Brazilian real has climbed 2% against the US dollar, which is an improvement, but they have a long way to go to get to the economic power and stability that they want. The big question remains: is it possible for Lula to keep Brazilians of all beliefs and ideologies happy enough for them to allow him to govern the country in peace.

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Artwork: Melis Buberka, UVI

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