Lula's Political Resurgence: A Force in South America

CURRENT EVENTS

Almost anywhere you travel in South America it’s become hard to ignore the name “Lula”. Today Brazil And Much Of South America Seems Drawn To The Cult Of Lula who has become a larger than life figure.

What To Make Of Lula And His Political Appeal?

An old green door with a vintage design, adorned with a red bicycle and colorful ribbons, alongside a weathered wall featuring graffiti that reads 'LULA LIBRE'.

Above – Lula’s popularity extends to much of South America as this image taken in Uruguay would suggest…

Even if over a couple of decades politics in South America has moved decidedly to the Right, leaning into Capitalism and fiscal responsibility there is one notable exception. That’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brazil. His brand of leftist politics and socialism has been unique in as much as he has been able to maintain support in Brazil as well as across large parts of South America. Appealing to a broad left-wing/progressive spectrum that includes intellectuals, he has helped prioritize regional integration with a unique brand of economics that has demonstrated remarkable fiscal success. It is his success as much as anything that has marshaled conservative groups, mostly inside governments, against him.

Recently Lula secured a historic fourth term in an October 2026 runoff election, defying a broader rightward political shift across Latin America and reinforcing his role as the region’s most influential statesman. To say that Lula’s success has been complicated is a serious under statement. His support remains strong with South America’s poor and working classes as well as an emerging middle class and intellectuals.

Portrait of a man with curly hair and a beard, looking upward, with bold text reading 'Lula' and 'PT' in red at the bottom.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was born into poverty in Pernambuco in 1945 and migrated to São Paulo as a child, working odd jobs before becoming a lathe operator and metalworker. In the late 1970s, during Brazil’s military dictatorship, Lula led massive strikes as the head of the Metalworkers’ Union in the industrial ABC region of São Paulo. In February 1980, he helped found the left-wing Workers’ Party (PT) supported by unionists as well as intellectuals, and social activists. After running and losing multiple presidential bids (1989, 1994, and 1998), Lula won the 2002 election, becoming Brazil’s first socialist, working-class president. His administration combined an odd combination of market-friendly economic policies with major social welfare programs like Bolsa Família*, which successfully lifted literally millions of Brazilians out of poverty while at the same time giving the country major economic growth and a trade commodity boom.

Stylized portrait of a smiling man with gray hair and beard, accompanied by the text 'LULA' in bold red letters and the phrase 'O BRASIL FELIZ DE NOVO' below.

Pushing to regain political control, right wing forces in 2018 got Lula convicted of corruption and money laundering with the sweeping Lava Jato (Car Wash) investigations, sidelining him from the 2018 election that lead to nearly a year and a half in prison. After widespread social demonstrations in 2021, Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court annulled his convictions and restored his political rights. Lula won the 2022 presidential election, taking office in January 2023.

In October 2026, at age 80, Lula made history by winning a hard-fought runoff election for an unprecedented fourth presidential term, defeating Flávio Bolsonaro. Now political forces throughout South America have serious concerns about his popularity outside Brazil even though there doesn’t seem to be any popular succesor to his position.

Portrait of a man with gray hair and a beard, clasping his hands together in a thoughtful pose, with the word 'LULA' prominently displayed.

* Bolsa Família – Originally launched in 2003 by President Lula da Silva, it was briefly replaced by Auxílio Brasil in 2021 before being restored and updated as Bolsa Família by Lula in 2023. It required that families must have a monthly per capita income at or at least R$ 218 (representing the poverty line) and be registered in the federal government’s Cadastro Único. The program provides a baseline minimum monthly benefit of R$ 691 (updated as of late 2026), with additional variable stipends for children, adolescents, and pregnant women. To receive the funds, families must meet specific health and education requirements.