Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Fast Facts
Guiding the debate in Brazil for the past five years, Lula has gained a following around the world with a compelling mix of social and economic commentary.
Lula is a well-known figure in Brazil even though he has not reached the heights of Ronald Reagan or Margaret Thatcher. But this is not a problem for him as he enjoys popularity among voters who consider his policies beneficial for society as a whole.
During the campaign, Lula has consistently been ahead in the polls. But he would have won the election alone had it not been for the media frenzy that the ‘Lula Phenomenon’ created.
The controversy surrounding Lula is his plan to nationalize the electricity supply in Brazil, and make the country wholly dependent on it. Although this plan would have been rejected by President Dilma Rousseff, who, as far as we know, had no intention of nationalizing the power supply and would have accepted a referendum. However, this plan has been the single most debated issue in the Brazilian elections.
Lula has been involved in a number of controversies, most of which center around the nationalization of the electricity supply. The first was in 2004 when he said he would nationalize the electricity supply in Brazil in order to improve efficiency, and to pay for public services. However, the National Congress rejected this proposal and this was the first Lula was faced with a nationalization of the power supply.
The second controversy stemmed from his plans to build a second dam to supply the Northeast, which would have displaced millions of people, and would have ruined the country’s water supply and environmental policies that would have caused serious damage to Brazil, as well as a major economic crisis. Eventually, he was forced to withdraw his plan due to pressure from the international community. However, the political damage has been done. And Lula has fallen far behind Dilma in the polls.
The main reason he has
