Leftist Lula da Silva defeated far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil’s October 30 presidential election.
Lula vows to strengthen Latin American regional integration, expand the BRICS system, and fight poverty and hunger at home.
Brazil’s left-wing former President Lula da Silva won round two of the election on October 30, despite blatant voter suppression by far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro.
Lula got 50.9% of the total, including over 2.1 million more votes than Bolsonaro.
In his victory speech, Lula said his top priority will be to ensure that no Brazilian goes hungry. He likewise pledged to provide housing for the homeless, jobs and opportunities for the poor, better education, and equality for women.
Lula was a co-founder of the BRICS system, which he has called to expand. He has similarly vowed to strengthen unity in Latin America and the Caribbean through institutions of regional integration like the CELAC, UNASUR, and MERCOSUR.
Before the election, Lula proposed creating a pan-Latin American currency, in order to “be freed of the dollar.”
Lula’s victory represents a reversal of two US-sponsored soft coups in 2016 and 2018, which overthrew the Workers’ Party (PT) government of former President Dilma Rousseff and subsequently imprisoned Lula on false charges, handing power to Bolsonaro.
In the interview below, Brazil-based journalist Brian Mier speaks with Multipolarista editor Ben Norton about the global significance of Lula’s historic victory.