Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

{{significantly problematic}}[[File:Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva red star.jpg|165px|right|thumb|Lula in a commie hat.]]
{{politics}}{{cquote|That's my man right there, the most popular politician on earth.|||[[Barack Obama]], at the G20 summit in London.<ref>[https://archive.ph/ex9st Brazil's Lula: The Most Popular Politician on Earth] by Newsweek Staff (September 21, 2009 8:00 PM), ''Newsweek''.</ref>}}

'''Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva''' {{lived|1945}}, better known as just '''Lula''', is a controversial [[Brazilian]] [[leftist]] politician and the country's 39<sup>th</sup> president since January 1, 2023. He is the main figure and one of the founders of the [[PT]], the country's leading leftist party. He served as the 35<sup>th</sup> President of Brazil from 2003 to 2010, a time during which government scandal arose although the nation was blessed by a relatively good [[economy]]. He was jailed from 2018 to 2019 for such corruption charges. He was subsequently released after the Supreme Court dismissed the charges, thereby allowing him to regain his political rights. He immediately announced another presidential run. He ran for president in the 2022 election and was elected again, taking office in early 2023.

==Early life and career==
Lula was born in 1945 in a small town in the impoverished, semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil, the seventh of eight children of a middle-class family. His family soon migrated to the richer state of São Paulo in southeastern Brazil. In his youth and adulthood, Lula worked in metal factories. On one occasion, he lost his left little finger during an accident in an automobile parts factory.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2367851.stm Fourth time lucky?]. BBC. 27 April 2007.</ref> (His missing little finger is one of his two most remarkable characteristics, the other being his lisp.) This prompted his interest in labor rights, so he started to act as a [[trade union]]ist, participating in numerous [[strike]]s.<ref name=LULAC1>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190702115233/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Luiz-Inacio-Lula-da-Silva Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva - Encyclopaedia Britannica]</ref> Lula steadily rose through the ranks.

In an interview in 1979, Lula apparently praised [[Hitler]]'s willpower:
{{cquote|Hitler, even being wrong, had that which I admire in a man: the initiative of deciding to do something and trying to accomplish it.|||Lula, interviewed by Playboy in 1979. [https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/fsp/1994/4/21/brasil/10.html Lula declarou admirar Hitler e Khomeini]. Quoted on Folha de S. Paulo on 21 April 1994.}}

In 1980, a group of academics, intellectuals, and union leaders, including Lula, founded the [[PT]] (''Partido dos Trabalhadores'', or Worker's Party), a left-wing party with [[progressive]] ideas created after the ban on political parties was suspended by Brazil's military government (1964–1985). 

In 1982, he added "Lula" (originally a nickname from Luiz) to his legal name.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140421054026/http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/d/luiz_inacio_lula_da_silva/ Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva]. New York Times. August 2012.</ref> In 1983, he helped found the {{wpl|Central Única dos Trabalhadores}} (CUT) union association. In 1984, the PT and Lula joined the popular ''{{w|Diretas Já}}!'' (Direct [Elections] Now!) campaign, which demanded direct popular vote for the subsequent Brazilian presidential election.

After [[democracy]] was restored in Brazil in 1985, Lula ran for president in the first election in 1989,<ref>[https://www.electoralgeography.com/new/en/countries/b/brazil/brazil-presidential-election-1989.html Brazil. Presidential Election 1989]. Electoral Geography 2.0</ref> then again in 1994<ref>[https://www.electoralgeography.com/new/en/countries/b/brazil/brazil-presidential-election-1994.html Brazil. Presidential Election 1994]. Electoral Geography 2.0</ref> and 1998,<ref>[https://www.electoralgeography.com/new/en/countries/b/brazil/brazil-presidential-election-1998.html Brazil. Presidential Election 1998]. Electoral Geography 2.0</ref> becoming the runner-up in each of those elections, but he would only win in his fourth attempt in 2002.<ref>[https://www.electoralgeography.com/new/en/countries/b/brazil/brazil-presidential-election-2002.html Brazil. Presidential Election 2002]. Electoral Geography 2.0</ref>

==First presidency (2003–2010)==
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<!-- This section would be greatly improved with coverage of PT's "Zero Hunger" program. I recommend Zero Hunger by Aron Ansell, which takes a critical and technical look at the successes and failures of the program, both in terms of practical deployment and ideological schisms within PT. Needless to say, it is a critical, though not hostile, examination of the program.  -->

Lula's first administration was marked by a series of corruption scandals.<ref>[https://au.news.yahoo.com/scandal-taints-brazils-working-class-hero-lula-31019288.html Scandal taints Brazil's working-class hero Lula]. Yahoo! 4 March 2006.</ref><ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-lula-idUSN2838881720070101 Brazil's Lula pledges economic growth in 2<sup>nd</sup> term]. Reuters. 21 January 2007.</ref> During his first term in 2005, there was the ''Mensalão'', meaning "big monthly payment", a bribe of 30,000 reais (around US$12,000 at the time) paid for each of a number of congressmen to vote for legislation favoring the PT.<ref>{{cite news |author=[[BBC]] |title=Q&A: Brazil's 'big monthly' corruption trial |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-19081519}} 21 November 2012. Retrieved on 10 March 2013</ref> Nevertheless, since the economy was  (seemingly) doing well, most Brazilians seemed to have forgotten about the scandal as Lula was re-elected the following year.

Lula's supporters claim that his government has saved millions of Brazilians from [[poverty]], but this happened despite, and not because of his government.<ref name=Década>{{Cite journal |last=Carrasco |first=Vinicius |last2=Mello |first2=João M. P. de |last3=Duarte |first3=Isabela |date=2017-01-31 |title=A Década Desperdiçada: 2003 – 2012 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.11132/rea.2014.961 |journal=Revista de Economia e Administração |volume=13 |issue=4 |doi=10.11132/rea.2014.961 |issn=1984-5308}}</ref> In summary, Lula's economic record is mixed at best.

===Global comparison===
Lula's government also underperformed on a global level. During the period, Brazil in relation to the best comparison group:<ref name=Década>{{Cite journal |last=Carrasco |first=Vinicius |last2=Mello |first2=João M. P. de |last3=Duarte |first3=Isabela |date=2017-01-31 |title=A Década Desperdiçada: 2003 – 2012 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.11132/rea.2014.961 |journal=Revista de Economia e Administração |volume=13 |issue=4 |doi=10.11132/rea.2014.961 |issn=1984-5308}}</ref>
*Grew, invested and saved less;
*Received less foreign direct investment and added less value in the industry;
*Had more inflation;
*Lost competitiveness and productivity, made less progress in Research and Development and worsened regulatory quality;
*Performed worse or the same in almost all major sectors;
*The income distribution, the fraction of poor, and malnutrition fell in line or slightly less;
*Schooling progressed less, despite higher expenses;
*Healthcare walked the line.

The country did better on the job market, where it advanced on the easier side: putting people to work. In short, Brazil has advanced, but it could have advanced much more. In this sense the decade was lost. Lula also failed at reducing inequality in Brazil, which remained on the same astonishing levels during his government.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brazil |url=https://wid.world/country/brazil/ |access-date=2023-01-02 |website=WID - World Inequality Database |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Medeiros |first=Marcelo |last2=Souza |first2=Pedro |last3=Castro |first3=Fabio Avila de |date=2014-09-09 |title=A Estabilidade Da Desigualdade De Renda No Brasil, 2006 a 2012: Estimativa Com Dados Do Imposto De Renda E Pesquisas Domiciliares (The Stability in the Income Inequality in Brazil, 2006-2012: An Estimate with Tax and Survey Data) |url=https://papers.ssrn.com/abstract=2493877 |language=pt|location=Rochester, NY}}</ref>

==Post-presidency under Dilma's administration==
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After concluding his second term, Lula chose a member of his party, {{w|Dilma Rousseff||,}} to run for president as his successor. Dilma won the 2010 election with a considerable advantage of 12.10%, taking office in 2011. Unlike the relative prosperity under Lula, Dilma's government was marked by economic crisis and dissatisfaction, not to mention her numerous gaffes and funny statements that became internet [[memes]] (much like [[George W. Bush]]'s ones).

Many{{who}} predicted that Brazil wouldn't be able to pay Lula's heavy expenditures on numerous social programs during his administration, and that the bubble would explode on his successor's hands.{{fact}} This is precisely what happened. As if high unemployment and poor economic performance weren't enough, the end of Dilma's first term was marked by the discovery of a huge corruption scheme related to oil companies called the ''Petrolão''. This was by far the biggest and most harmful scandal, not only in Brazil, but in all of Latin America.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMXumMJZYYI The biggest corruption scandal in Latin America’s history] by Vox. [[YouTube]].</ref>

Even though Dilma was re-elected in 2014, she wouldn't be able to complete her presidency. When she decided to appoint Lula as her Chief of Staff in 2016, a huge political crisis erupted in Brazil and many called for {{wpl|Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff|her impeachment|,}} whose official reasons were {{wpl|fiscal pedaling}} committed during her government.

==Imprisonment, release, and 2022 election==
In July 2017, Lula was convicted on charges of money laundering and passive corruption by federal judge Sergio Moro and sentenced to nine years in prison,<ref>[https://oglobo.globo.com/brasil/moro-condena-lula-9-anos-meio-de-prisao-no-caso-do-triplex-21580819 Moro condena Lula a 9 anos e meio de prisão no caso do triplex]. O Globo.</ref> a sentence that was then increased to twelve years by an unanimous court decision,<ref>[https://g1.globo.com/politica/noticia/julgamento-recurso-de-lula-no-trf-4-decisao-desembargadores-da-8-turma.ghtml Em decisão unânime, tribunal condena Lula em segunda instância e aumenta pena de 9 para 12 anos]. G1. 24 January 2018.</ref> and this was for only one of ten lawsuits involving him.<ref>[https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/poder/2019/04/lula-e-reu-em-oito-acoes-penais-incluindo-o-caso-do-triplex-em-guaruja.shtml Lula é réu em oito ações penais, incluindo o caso do triplex em Guarujá.] Folha. 6 June 2019</ref> Moro ruled that Lula had purportedly money laundered ''Petrolão'' earnings via a triplex in the city of Guarujá and a rural property in the city of Atibaia.

After an unsuccessful appeal, Lula was arrested in April 2018<ref>[https://www.dw.com/pt-br/lula-se-entrega-%C3%A0-pol%C3%ADcia-federal/a-43293959 Lula se entrega à Polícia Federal]. DW. 7 April 2018.</ref> and would spend 580 days in jail.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-05/brazil-s-former-president-lula-ordered-arrested-by-judge-moro|title=Brazilian Judge Orders Arrest of Former President Lula|publisher=Bloomberg |first1=Mario|last1=Sergio Lima|first2=Samy|last2=Adghirni|newspaper=Bloomberg.com|date=5 April 2018|access-date=6 April 2018|archive-date=9 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191009111455/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-05/brazil-s-former-president-lula-ordered-arrested-by-judge-moro|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/lula-verdict-plunges-brazil-into-political-chaos-ahead-of-presidential-election/2018/04/05/a215bb1a-386e-11e8-af3c-2123715f78df_story.html|title=Lula verdict plunges Brazil into political chaos ahead of presidential election|last=Lopes|first=Marina|date=5 April 2018|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=5 April 2018|language=en|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180405220936/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/lula-verdict-plunges-brazil-into-political-chaos-ahead-of-presidential-election/2018/04/05/a215bb1a-386e-11e8-af3c-2123715f78df_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=8 November 2019|title=Brazil's former president Lula walks free from prison after supreme court ruling|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/08/lula-brazil-released-prison-supreme-court-ruling|access-date=18 March 2021|website=the Guardian|language=en|archive-date=15 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210315080314/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/08/lula-brazil-released-prison-supreme-court-ruling|url-status=live}}</ref> Lula attempted to run in the 2018 Brazilian presidential election but was disqualified under Brazil's ''Ficha Limpa'' ("clean records") law.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/brazils-jailed-former-president-lula-barred-from-running-again-by-electoral-court/2018/08/31/88cfcb7c-ac9b-11e8-9a7d-cd30504ff902_story.html|title=Brazil's jailed former president Lula barred from running again by electoral court|newspaper=The Washington Post|first=Marina|last=Lopes|date=31 August 2018|access-date=1 September 2018|archive-date=1 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180901082125/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/brazils-jailed-former-president-lula-barred-from-running-again-by-electoral-court/2018/08/31/88cfcb7c-ac9b-11e8-9a7d-cd30504ff902_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In November 2019, the Supreme Federal Court ruled that incarcerations with pending appeals were unlawful and Lula was released from prison as a result.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/08/lula-brazil-released-prison-supreme-court-ruling|title=Brazil's former president Lula walks free from prison after supreme court ruling|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=8 November 2019|access-date=8 November 2019|archive-date=8 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191108210539/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/08/lula-brazil-released-prison-supreme-court-ruling|url-status=live}}</ref> 

===COVID-19 pandemic===
Lula made controversial statements during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. As reported by ''Carta Capital'', a strongly left-wing and pro-Lula website, he stated the following in 2020: 
{{cquote|Nature thankfully created such monster called [[coronavirus]] so people can realize that only the State is capable of solving the situation.|||Lula, interviewed by leftist news network ''Carta Capital''. [https://g1.globo.com/politica/noticia/2020/05/19/ainda-bem-que-monstro-do-coronavirus-veio-para-demonstrar-necessidade-do-estado-diz-lula.ghtml 'Ainda bem' que 'monstro' do coronavírus veio para demonstrar necessidade do Estado, diz Lula]. G1. 19 May 2020.}}

===Nullification of accusations===
In March 2021, Supreme Federal Court Justice Edson Fachin ruled that all of Lula's convictions must be nullified because he was tried by a court that did not have proper jurisdiction over his case.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://g1.globo.com/politica/noticia/2021/03/08/fachin-anula-condenacoes-de-lula-relacionadas-a-operacao-lava-jato.ghtml|title=Fachin anula condenações de Lula relacionadas à Lava Jato; ex-presidente volta a ser elegível|website=G1|language=pt|date=8 March 2021|access-date=8 March 2021|archive-date=8 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308184130/https://g1.globo.com/politica/noticia/2021/03/08/fachin-anula-condenacoes-de-lula-relacionadas-a-operacao-lava-jato.ghtml|url-status=live}}</ref> Fachin's ruling, which was confirmed by other Supreme Court Justices in April 2021, restored Lula's political rights.<ref>{{Cite news|date=8 March 2021|title=Lula: Brazil's ex-president cleared by Supreme Court|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazils-supreme-court-confirms-decision-annul-lula-convictions-2021-04-15/|access-date=16 April 2021|archive-date=16 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416043741/https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazils-supreme-court-confirms-decision-annul-lula-convictions-2021-04-15/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Supreme Federal Court ruled later in March 2021 that judge Moro, who oversaw his corruption trial, was biased.<ref name="biased">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/24/lula-judge-was-biased-brazil-supreme-court-rules-paving-way-to-challenge-bolsonaro|title=Lula judge was biased, Brazil supreme court rules, paving way to challenge Bolsonaro|agency=Associated Press|work=The Guardian|date=24 March 2021|access-date=14 July 2021|language=en|archive-date=14 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210714185340/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/24/lula-judge-was-biased-brazil-supreme-court-rules-paving-way-to-challenge-bolsonaro|url-status=live}}</ref> All of the cases Moro had brought against Lula were annulled by 24 June 2021. Following the court ruling, Lula was legally allowed to run for president again in the 2022 elections. This however, was not a full acquittal, as the charges can still be pressed against him by another court.

===Re-election===
In the elections, Lula narrowly defeated Bolsonaro in the runoff.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Nicas |first=Jack |date=2022-10-30 |title=Brazil ejects Bolsonaro and brings back the former leftist leader Lula. |language=en|work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/10/30/world/brazil-presidential-election |access-date=2022-11-02 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

==Second presidency (2023–present)==
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Lula's second presidency has been a breath of fresh air for the international community as well as for many Brazilians, if only because he's not Bolsonaro. He has taken vastly different approaches to issues such as crime, environmentalism, economics, and international relations from his predecessor, and frankly from himself, as he has proven (particularly on indigenous rights and climate change) to be far more leftwing than even his first presidency. However, Lula's second presidency hasn't been without its controversies.

===Nonsense about video games===
In 2023 Lula delivered a speech where he spuriously accused [[video games]] of "teaching kids to kill", ignorantly labelling the medium as violent and "non-educational" and opining that none of them talk about love,<ref>Lu-Hai Liang (April 18, 2023). [https://www.thegamer.com/brazil-president-says-games-teaching-kids-to-kill/ "Brazil's President Says Video Games Are "Teaching Kids To Kill""] TheGamer. Retrieved April 25, 2023.</ref> never mind the fact that there has been a subgenre of educational and/or edutainment games even as far back as the early days of electronic games such as ''Oregon Trail'' and ''Carmen Sandiego'' among others.<ref>Edwards, Benj (August 19, 2015). [https://www.pcworld.com/article/423117/the-17-best-educational-games-of-the-70s-80s-and-90s.html "The 17 best educational games of the 70s, 80s and 90s"]. PC World. Retrieved April 25, 2023.</ref> He also ignores the fact that similarly violent and sexually explicit works from other forms of media such as films, music and telenovelas exist in the country, notably the award-winning police drama ''{{wpl|Elite Squad}}'' (Portuguese: ''Tropa de Elite''),<ref group="note">Despite criticism towards its graphic portrayal of violence, including but not limited to acts of torture such as {{wpl|Necklacing|"necklacing"}} (known in local vernacular as "micro-ondas" or "microwaving") where a victim is forcibly shoved into a stack of tyres, doused in gasoline and then set on fire, ''Elite Squad'' for one was adored by Brazilian audiences as it resonated well with the judiciary's inability to deliver swift justice hence why the populace is willing to embrace [[Vigilante|vigilantism]] and [[police brutality]] so as long as they get (short-term) gains from crime-fighting ''at all costs.''</ref> yet he apparently glossed over it because a relatively-recent medium [[Think of the children|popular with the youths]] is an easy [[scapegoat]].

===Ableism===
In April, Lula connected recent school shootings in Brazil to "mentally deficient" people who "have a screw loose". Brazilian TV presenter {{w|Marcos Mion}}, who has an autistic son, was outraged by that statement, describing it as ableist.<ref>[https://www.uol.com.br/splash/noticias/2023/04/22/marcos-mion-critica-fala-de-lula-sobre-pessoas-com-deficiencia.htm Marcos Mion critica fala de Lula sobre pessoas com deficiência... - Veja mais em https://www.uol.com.br/splash/noticias/2023/04/22/marcos-mion-critica-fala-de-lula-sobre-pessoas-com-deficiencia.htm]. "Marcos Mion criticizes Lula's statement about disabled people". UOL. 22 April 2023</ref>

===Statements about Russia's invasion of Ukraine===
Regarding the Russian invasion and occupation of Ukraine, Lula said in February 2023 that people were stimulating hate against [[Vladimir Putin]] and stated that the [[European Union]] "didn't have to encourage the confrontation."<ref name=lulint>{{Cite web|url=https://time.com/6173232/lula-da-silva-transcript/|title=Lula Talks to TIME About Ukraine, Bolsonaro, and Brazil's Fragile Democracy|work=Time|date=4 May 2022 |access-date=8 April 2023 |archive-date=12 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412133010/https://time.com/6173232/lula-da-silva-transcript/ |url-status=live}}</ref> This declaration was controversial, with Ukraine seeing it as a "Russian attempt to distort the truth".<ref name=distort>{{Cite web|url=https://time.com/6258071/brazil-lula-ukraine-war/|title=Brazil's Lula Intensifies Diplomatic Push for Peace in Ukraine|work=Time|first=Simone|last=Iglesias|date=23 February 2023 |access-date=8 April 2023 |archive-date=8 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408215034/https://time.com/6258071/brazil-lula-ukraine-war/ |url-status=live}}</ref> According to Lula, [[NATO]] and the EU were the cause of the war, with the former "claiming for itself the right to install military bases in the vicinity of another country", in addition to criticizing European leaders for "encouraging war instead of focusing on closed-door negotiations" and having "failed to do enough to negotiate with Russia in the run-up to its invasion". He also blamed the Ukrainian president [[Volodymyr Zelenskyy]] of being "as responsible as Putin for the war".<ref name=reulul>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazils-lula-says-zelenskiy-as-responsible-putin-ukraine-war-2022-05-04/|title=Brazil's Lula says Zelenskiy 'as responsible as Putin' for Ukraine war|newspaper=[[Reuters]]|date=4 May 2022 |access-date=21 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2023/02/10/biden-lula-meeting-war-in-ukraine-high-on-the-agenda_6015191_4.html|title=Biden-Lula meeting: War in Ukraine high on the agenda|website=[[Le Monde]] |access-date=8 April 2023 |archive-date=8 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408214417/https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2023/02/10/biden-lula-meeting-war-in-ukraine-high-on-the-agenda_6015191_4.html |url-status=live}}</ref> More recently, in April, Lula suggested that Ukraine should "give up [[Crimea]]" in exchange for peace and Russia's withdrawal from Ukrainian territory it occupied after February 2022, saying Zelenskyy "can not want everything".<ref name=eurolul>{{Cite web|url=https://www.euronews.com/2023/04/07/the-world-needs-tranquillity-ukraine-urged-to-give-up-crimea-by-brazils-lula|title='The world needs tranquillity': Ukraine urged to give up Crimea by Brazil's Lula|work=Euronews |access-date=8 April 2023 |archive-date=8 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408215919/https://www.euronews.com/2023/04/07/the-world-needs-tranquillity-ukraine-urged-to-give-up-crimea-by-brazils-lula |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Environmental record== 
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While he's certainly no [[Bolsonaro]], his environmental record hasn't been without its fair share of criticisms. For starters, Lula saw the deforestation rate of the Amazon plummet to all-time lows (after initially peaking in 2006) while in office.{{fact}} However, he also approved of the controversial {{wpl|Belo Monte Dam}}, which when opened, contributed to a steady uptick in deforestation rates in the mid-2010s.{{fact}} This led to protests from environmentalists and indigenous groups at the time, and even resignations from his own government.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna24604340 |title=Environment minister steps down in Brazil
 |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=14 May 2008 |website=nbcnews.com |publisher= ''Associated Press'' via ''NBC Universal'' |access-date=10 January 2023 |quote=}}
</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/aug/19/marina-silva-resigns |title=Brazil's former environment minister leaves ruling party over 'destruction of natural resources' |last=Phillips |first=Tom |date=19 August 2009 |website=guardian.com |publisher=''The Guardian'' |access-date=10 January 2023 |quote=}}
</ref> Lula acknowledges this, and has pledged to be more environmentally conscious in his third term.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/amazon-rainforest-defender-marina-silva-named-brazils-new-environment-minister |title=Amazon rainforest defender Marina Silva named Brazil’s new environment minister
 |last=Maisonnave |first=Fabiano |date=29 December 2022 |website=pbs.org |publisher=''PBS NewsHour'' |access-date=10 January 2023 |quote=Brazil’s President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced Thursday that... the new administration will prioritize cracking down on illegal deforestation in the forest even if it means running afoul of powerful agribusiness interests.}}
</ref> He has even floated forming a rainforest alliance with the [[DRC|Congo]] and [[Indonesia]] (Borneo).<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/exclusive-lula-pushes-brazil-indonesia-congo-cop-forest-alliance-if-elected-2022-08-31/ |title= EXCLUSIVE Lula pushes Brazil-Indonesia-Congo rainforest alliance if elected |last= Paraguassu |first= Lisandra |date= 31 August 2022 |website= reuters.com |publisher= ''Thomson Reuters''|access-date=9 January 2023 |quote=}}</ref> However, he has also voiced his support for repaving the controversial {{wpl|BR-319}} highway, <!-- add note to explain context --> which environmentalists fear would speed up deforestation.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.npr.org/2022/10/28/1131143570/brazil-amazon-highway-br-319 |title= A Brazilian road project cuts through the Amazon, paving the way to vast deforestation |last= Otis |first= John |date= 30 October 2022 |website= npr.org |publisher= ''National Public Radio (NPR)''|access-date= 9 January 2023 |quote=}}</ref> Indeed, Brazil did see a reduction  of 34% in deforestation in the first half of 2023, when he took over again.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pulice |first=Carolina |last2=Spring |first2=Jake |last3=Spring |first3=Jake |date=2023-07-07 |title=Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon drops 34% in first half 2023 |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/deforestation-brazils-amazon-drops-34-first-half-2023-2023-07-06/ |access-date=2023-08-08}}</ref>

One particularly concerning policy of his current government is his attempt to legalize oil exploration on the mouth of the Amazon River, the largest river by discharge volume of water in the world (as well as world's second longest).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Malleret |first=Constance |date=2023-05-23 |title=Amazon oil drilling deepens rift within Lula's coalition |url=https://brazilian.report/liveblog/politics-insider/2023/05/23/rift-amazon-oil-drilling-deepens/ |access-date=2023-05-27 |website=The Brazilian Report}}</ref> The episode also showed again his lack of belief in the democratic process: when a regulatory body denied the license for the exploration,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-18 |title=Ibama Denies Petrobras' Request to Drill for Oil at The Mouth of the Amazon |url=https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/scienceandhealth/2023/05/ibama-denies-petrobras-request-to-drill-for-oil-at-the-mouth-of-the-amazon.shtml |access-date=2023-05-27 |website=Folha de S.Paulo |language=en}}</ref> he tried to circumvent it by weakening its authority with support from Bolsonaro allies in Congress, of all people.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reuters |date=2023-05-24 |title=Sob protesto de Marina, aliados do governo no Congresso articulam esvaziar poderes do Ministério do Meio Ambiente |url=https://www.infomoney.com.br/politica/sob-protesto-de-marina-aliados-do-governo-no-congresso-articulam-esvaziar-poderes-do-ministerio-do-meio-ambiente/ |access-date=2023-05-27 |website=InfoMoney |language=pt}}</ref>

==External links==
*{{wpa|Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group="note"}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lula da Silva, Luiz Inácio}}
[[Category:Ableism]]
[[Category:Brazil]]
[[Category:Catholics]]
[[Category:Convicted felons]]
[[Category:Government incompetence]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Left-wing activists]]
[[Category:Socialists]]
[[Category:South American politicians]]

Categories: Ableism, Brazil, Catholics, Convicted felons, Government incompetence, Living people, Left-wing activists, Socialists, South American politicians