Category: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Brazilian Authorities Response to Jan. 8 Riots Still Raise Questions

Commentary After more than three months, questions continue to emerge over the “assault” on government buildings in Brazil’s capital city on Jan. 8. Army general Gonçalves Dias is the head of Brazil’s Institutional Security Bureau (GSI), which advises the president on defence and security matters and handles presidential security. However, Dias resigned after a CNN…


Brazilian President Orders ‘Federal Security Intervention’ After Rioters Damage Government Buildings

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva late on Jan. 8 visited the nation’s presidential palace, Congress, and the Supreme Court to assess the damage after rioters breached and defaced the three buildings earlier in the day. Ongoing post-election demonstrations have played out in Brazil since Oct. 30, 2022, when Lula, a socialist, was declared the winner of the presidential…


400 Arrested in Brazil After Breach of Government Buildings, Bolsonaro Condemns Attack

More than 400 people have been arrested in Brazil as of late Jan. 8 after protesters breached and attacked the nation’s Congress, the Supreme Court, and presidential palace in the capital of Brasilia, a week after the inauguration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Multiple videos from local broadcasters and groups related to Brazil’s former president,…


Did Brazil Have a Fair Election?

Commentary The second round of Brazil’s presidential elections was held this Sunday, Oct. 30. The former president, Lula da Silva, who has served prison time for corruption, won 50.9 percent of the vote, and the incumbent, Jair Bolsonaro, received 49.1 percent. This is according to judges of the Electoral Superior Tribunal (TSE), Brazil’s top electoral…


Jair Bolsonaro’s Presidential Re-election Would Be a Victory for Democracy in Brazil

Commentary Brazil’s next presidential elections are scheduled to be held on Oct. 2—this Sunday. Many sectors of the media have accused the current incumbent, presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, of posing a threat to Brazil’s democracy. Indeed, he is widely depicted by the western media as a being “fascist” or worse intent on tyranny. By contrast,…


Another Lula Da Silva Presidency Would Be a Disaster for Brazilian Democracy And the Press

Commentary Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the far-left candidate in Brazil’s presidential elections this year, has resumed his attack on freedom of expression by demanding the “social control of the media.” “Social control of the media” can be defined as a “euphemism to subordinate the free flow of information to the undercover interference from government.”…


Will There Be a Fair and Transparent Presidential Election in Brazil?

Commentary Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has always been critical of the electronic voting machines used during elections in his country. He suspects that these machines may be not entirely reliable and insists on using printable and auditable paper ballots as a better guarantee of transparency. The president would like to see a physical register for…


Brazilian Presidential Elections: Lula’s Reelection Would Be a Reward for Corruption

 Commentary When running as a candidate for the 2002 presidential elections, Brazil’s former president and now presidential candidate, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, commonly known as “Lula,” pledged to do everything to combat corruption. In 2002, he even signed an “Anti-Corruption Pledge” prepared by Transparency International. Ironically, however, corruption ended up reaching unprecedented levels during…


Brazilian Presidential Elections: What Do Lula’s Infatuations With Dictators Say About Himself?

Commentary At a recent rally, Brazil’s presidential candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, commonly known as “Lula,” called on Brazilians to support him in defending the country’s democracy from the conservative candidate President Jair Bolsonaro. It is ironic to see this far-left politician considering the present incumbent a major threat to democracy in Brazil. For when…