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Rule of Law

Lula returns to a divided Brazil

January 12, 2023

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is once again president of Brazil — and faces considerable challenges. Four years of Jair Bolsonaro's right-wing administration and an election campaign marred by political violence leave Lula at the helm of a deeply polarized society.

https://p.dw.com/p/4LvXI

The presidential election campaign was highly charged, reflecting the gulf between various segments of Brazilian society. This report centers on three people from Sao Paulo, who shared their competing visions for the future of their country before, during and after the election — right up to the new president's inauguration: a left-wing activist, an arms dealer and an evangelical Christian.

For Lula's supporters, his triumph promises the restoration of a pluralistic democracy serving all Brazilians. For those who back Bolsonaro, who liberalized the economy and championed the conservative values of the fast-growing evangelical Christian community, his defeat has been devastating. But reactions on the street following Lula's narrow victory show that the "Bolsonarismo" ideology remains very much alive.

On Sunday, thousands of Bolsanaro supporters stormed the Congress building and other government offices in Brasilia. President Lula has condemned the attacks, calling them "barbarism."

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Close up — The Current Affairs Documentary

Our weekly half-hour program delivers in-depth reporting on topical political issues and newsworthy events. Revealing the story behind the stories, Close Up is informative, gripping and visually powerful.

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