Brazil, which makes up the “B” in BRICS, is led by Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, most popularly known as Lula.
Lula is famous for his charisma and communication skills but also for tough leadership and for his ability to conduct deep politics.
Humble beginnings
Born in an impoverished family in Pernambuco, Lula’s first trauma as working class was losing a finger in a machine in the 1960s.
He started leading the worker’s union throughout the 1970s and founded the Workers Party in 1980.
The party quickly grew to the central stage of national politics, and in 2002, Lula was elected president for the first time.
He adopted a more moderate speech that pleased both the working class and business leaders.
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Da Silva political comeback
A significant commodity boom funded several of his social programs and turned him into a trendy figure.
However, corruption scandals also affected his reputation. Still, he was reelected in 2006.
Lula’s efforts to make Brazil relevant globally earned him international fame.
Yet, his ‘friend of all’ approach often generates criticism. He holds ties with controversial figures such as the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and he has openly criticised Ukraine for the war with Russia.
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After his presidency, Lula endured several challenges, such as cancer and the passing of his wife. He was convicted of a corruption case and sent to jail for nearly two years.
However, a hacking of messages from the presiding judge suggested there was bias in the case, and the charges were dropped.
Lula was free and ran for the presidency again. He beat incumbent Jair Bolsonaro by less than 2% of the votes
Now, at his 3rd mandate, Lula is using the momentum of a new world order to build diplomacy.
In about six months of his 3rd mandate, he has already tied connections with leaders from all other BRICS countries and those interested in joining.
