The left-wing Brazilian president, elected after a tight ballot against his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro, has a controversial record as he reaches the symbolic 100-day milestone.
Unsurprisingly, leftist President Lula, who is reaching the symbolic milestone of 100 days in Brazil, has prioritized social measures. Starting with the revival of social assistance programs, like its emblematic program, the Bolsa Familia. Concretely, it is an increase in the social minima paid to families, a decision that was eagerly awaited in a country where poverty has exploded. It affects a third of the population.
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Another announcement with strong symbolic significance: the establishment two weeks ago of quotas in favor of black and mixed-race people. Some 30% of posts filled by appointment in the civil service will henceforth be reserved for them. In this Brazil of 210 million inhabitants, blacks and mestizos earn, on average, almost twice as much as whites. Lula also made a 180 degree turn from his predecessor, making the defense of indigenous peoples a priority. This is reflected in particular by the sending of the army to the Amazon to expel the clandestine gold washers who are very numerous in the indigenous regions, in particular among the Yanomani.
The environment still down
The concern is that many of these measures, the first in particular, involve new expenditure. And they must be financed, in a tense economic context, much more tense than during Lula’s first two terms between 2003 and 2011. As a result, the situation is complicated with the business community, and first with the Central Bank. Lula asks him to lower his key rates to curb prices, the Bank refuses. Tension is also high with the oil companies. The Brazilian president announced the creation of a 9% tax on crude oil exports. The main companies, Shell, Total, Repsol have counter-attacked by taking legal action. Brazil is the 9th oil producer in the world.
Funding is also the problem encountered by Lula to initiate a real environmental policy. On this subject, it is rather a disappointment for the moment. Lula has promised a lot, on the fight against global warming or against deforestation. He reactivated the Amazon Fund, but the money does not come in. The European Union, in particular, remains deaf to the appeals of the foot of the Brazilian president. Deforestation continues and even reached record levels last month.
The return of Jair Bolsonaro
Lula also made the choice to relaunch Brazilian diplomacy. Under Jair Bolsonaro, the South American giant had isolated itself on the international scene. Lula tries to restart the machine, but the exercise is difficult. He intends to spare both the United States (where he has already been) and China (where he will go next week). And reconciling the favors of both Washington and Beijing today borders on a balancing act.
>> What awaits former President Jair Bolsonaro, targeted by several judicial investigations, for his return to Brazil
Finally, a last parameter complicates the situation: the return of Jair Bolsonaro to Brazil last week, after three months of exile in the United States. Even if the former far-right president is worried about justice, he had to testify Wednesday evening before the police who are investigating a case of jewelry illegally imported into Brazil, his return will reunite his supporters and certainly tense the climate again policy.