Brazil is the fourth largest democracy in the world. That’s why the presidential election here also attracts world attention. In the Latin American region, the left’s popular influence naturally exists in this country. The far right is now in power. The contest is between the left and the uncompromising right.
The first phase of the Brazilian presidential election is over. According to the constitution, the person who gets more than 50 percent of the votes in the first phase election becomes the president. However, as no one could get 50% of the votes, the country is moving towards the second phase of elections.
In the first phase, Lula D’Silva, the leader of the left-wing Workers’ Party, will advance. Lula won 48.4% of the vote, while far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro received 43.2%. Lula got 5,72,57,473 votes and Bolsonaro got 5,10,71,106 votes. 15 crore voters wrote the verdict.
The second phase election will be held on 30th of this month.
A two-term president from 2003 to 2011, Lula is a powerful left-wing leader who lifted the Brazilian people out of poverty. His reforms ensured economic growth in Brazil. Bolsonaro, Lula’s main opponent, is a fan of dictators. Trump’s U.S. His son was his companion when he was president.
President Bolsonaro implicated Lula in a false case when he was expected to become president in 2018 with the support of 53% of the people. A case was filed without evidence for taking a bribe from a car wash company in the city of Sao Paulo. This action was to prevent Lula from contesting the elections. Bolsonaro later appointed the judge who sentenced Lula to prison as justice minister. However, the appeal court acquitted Lula.
In any case, Bolsonaro was behind in the opinion polls of this election. Lula said Bolsonaro imprisoned him for 580 days for political purposes. Lula has said that if he comes to power, he will take up the protection of the Amazon rainforest and take strong measures to solve food price hikes, hunger, poverty, educational disadvantage and widespread inequality.
Bolsonaro still says that only God can remove him from the presidency. He also questions the electronic voting system in Brazil. If he loses, this is considered to be a sign that Bolsonaro will try conflict without accepting the people’s verdict. Many political observers suggest that there is a possibility of a situation similar to the riots caused by Trump, who lost the US presidential election in 2021.
A good percentage of the people of Brazil are still with Bolsonaro. They are extreme right-wingers.
Polls indicated that Lula would get 14% more votes than Bolzaro in the last first round of elections. However, Lula was not able to win the vote at that level.
Bolsonaro’s supporters have won massive victories in the elections for members of the Brazilian Congress, Senate, governors, etc., which were held in conjunction with the first round of elections.
In the last elections in Latin American countries like Mexico, Cambodia, Argentina and Chile, the left came to power. Political observers believe that it will repeat itself in Brazil.
Know Brazil…
Brazil, the largest country in Latin America, is half the size of the South American continent. It is also the country with the largest number of Catholics in the world.
AD It was under Portuguese rule since 1500. In 1808, King John VI of Portugal fled to Brazil fearing an attack by Napoleon and moved the government there. In 1821 the royal family returned to Portugal. Brazil was ruled by Prince Pedro I. On September 7, 1821, Pedro I proclaimed the independence of Brazil.
In 1840, Pedro II, son of Pedro I, became emperor. In 1882 he abolished slavery. In November 1889, General Diodorosa seized power in a military coup and established a republic there under the name of the United States of Brazil. Brazil was a democracy from 1945 to 1964. In 1961, President Shuwail Gular implemented socio-economic reforms. In 1964, the army overthrew Gular and took over. Military rule continued until 1985. In 1985, democratic rule returned. Fernando Colordi Melu won the first presidential election in 1989. He was the first elected president.
In the elections held in October 2006, the current left-wing labor leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was elected president. Brazil is the largest economic power in Latin America. Agriculture and forestry are the backbone of the Brazilian economy. It is the leading country in the world in terms of hydropower generation.
Despite having a strong economic base, people outside five crore live in poverty. While the northeast region of the country is suffering from poverty, the southern region is rich in wealth. Brazil is a vast country with four regions. Neighboring countries are Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, French Guiana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Adv.G. Sugunan
(Author’s phone number : 9847132428 Email ID : avdgsugunan-gmail.com)