Published: 14 September 2023
Last updated: 5 March 2024
In his third term, the popular but flawed leader appears to be serious about addressing Brazil’s environmental and social problems.
The years 2019-22 were grey ones in Brazil. During most of that time there was a pandemic but the main difficulty for many was having Jair Bolsonaro as president.
A politician with almost 30 years of parliamentary experience, he presented himself as an outsider. An extreme right-winger, Bolsonaro gathered support from farmers, evangelicals, the military, and even part of the Jewish Community. These were four years of fake news and hate speech in the media.
Policies favouring arming the population and extensive deforestation were on the political menu. Bolsonaro mismanaged the pandemic, advising against the use of masks and taking too long to seek vaccines – the official death toll was 700,000. There were attempts to dismantle culture, education, science and technology, human rights, and racial and gender equality policies. As a woman, a Jew, an academic, a mother, and a person who believes in – and needs – democracy, I suffered every day.
This year began with the inauguration of Luís Inácio Lula da Silva as president of Brazil, his third term in office. My feeling since then is of breathing again, literally. There is a return of public policy efforts to correct inequalities and social wounds. It is not a paradise and there is a certain disenchantment with Lula due to his limitations.
The environment is the main point of difference between Lula and Bolsonaro.
He has a preference for appointing to important positions those who were loyal to him during his time in prison due to corruption allegations, and with the most conservative National Congress in Brazilian history, Lula is obliged to make concessions on important issues.
The political landscape is much improved but could be better. This government has the most female ministers in Brazilian history – an important step – but there is still no gender parity. It is a pity Lula has not chosen a female Foreign Minister, correcting the shameful fact that Brazil has never had a woman in charge of this ministry.
