By Annaís Berlim, Brazil Matters The 2023 Annual Report of the Brazilian Public Security Forum, published at the end of July, included, in addition to all the public security issues covered in the report, the frightening data on violence against women and girls in 2022, Bolsonaro’s last year in office.  The data published in this report corresponds to administrative records, i.e. records of reports to the police, calls to 190 (the Military Police’s emergency number) and requests for protective measures to the judiciary. These are the cases that reached the authorities after girls and ..read more

By Julia Felmanas, PT Londres Lula came into government, after four years of Bolsonaro, with huge devastation of the Amazon forest and one of the highest deaths rates due to covid, there was almost euphoria over his victory in Brazil and abroad. Lula won the election by the smallest of margins – 50.9%. The election aftermath brought with it riots in Brasília and Bolsonaro’s supporters camped outside military barracks in all parts of the country. Despite this, Lula’s inauguration ran peacefully. However, a week later, on 8th January, Brazil had its equivalent of the “storming of the Capito ..read more

By Tim Young It’s one hundred days since Lula da Silva took office as president of Brazil, having defeated extreme right winger Jair Bolsonaro at the polls in October 2022. Lula’s victory was relatively narrow, winning on the second round by 51 to 49 per cent, in an election revealing the deep divisions that Bolsonaro’s increasingly autocratic rule had fostered in Brazil during his tenure. But Bolsonaro-supporting parties won the largest bloc of seats in Congress, making the Right a significant obstacle to structural change. Supporters of Bolsonaro supporters also won the Governships of Rio de ..read more

By Dr Francsico Dominguez On 8th January 2023, a week after Lula’s presidential inauguration, the world was shocked by a Trump-style mob attack on key state institutions in Brasilia, the country’s capital city. The world saw media images of thousands of Bolsonaro supporters invading Planalto (presidential palace), and the premises of both the Supreme Court and Parliament, who, when inside proceeded to vandalise just about everything within their reach whilst taking selfies of themselves. It was a Bolsonarista insurrection aimed at not recognising Lula’s victory and keeping Jair Bolsonaro ..read more

By Patrick Foley, Brazil Solidarity Initiative Celebrations are sweeping across Brazil following Lula’s historic victory in the Presidential election over incumbent far-right Jair Bolsonaro. With 98.8% of the vote counted, Lula has won the election by over two million votes, beating Bolsonaro by 50.8% to 49.2%. Lula and the Brazilian Workers Party (PT) overcame an orchestrated misinformation and smear campaign, political violence aimed at Lula’s supporters, and continued attacks on the electoral system from the far-right. This continued on election day itself with disturbing reports that the F ..read more

By Patrick Foley, Brazil Solidarity Initiative With the second round of the presidential election coming up fast, join us in taking action to support Lula and the defence of Brazilian democracy.  In response to far-right President Boslonaro’s threats against the electoral system, and the shocking rise of political violence aimed at Brazilian Workers’ Party (PT) supporters and officials, an Early Day Motion has been launched by Richard Burgon, Brazil Solidarity Initiative Chair, in parliament – please take 30 seconds to email your MP and ask them to sign. With polls showing Lula will ..read more

By the Brazil Solidarity Initiative Team Shortly before the critical second round vote of the Brazilian election, show your support for Lula and the millions across Brazil defending democracy from Bolsonaro and the far-right. Join us for an online rally on October 27th with… – Julia Felmanas, Brazilian Workers’ Party London (PT Londres), coordinator – Richard Burgon MP, Brazil Solidarity Initiative chair – Brian Meir, journalist for teleSUR English – Elda Cardoso, Frente Preta UK - Mohammad Suhail, Young Labour International Officer – Plus more TB ..read more

By the Brazil Solidarity Initiative On Sunday, progressive candidate Lula Da Silva came top in the first round of Brazil’s Presidential election. Lula won 48.43% of the vote, with over 57 million voters backing him at the ballot box.  Despite the impression given in some media reports, this was not a close election. Lula received over 6 million more votes than his nearest rival, the far-right incumbent president Jair Bolsonaro, who came second with 42.20%.  In the first round, over 118 million votes were cast with Lula just 1.5% short of passing the 50% threshold needed to win the pr ..read more

By the Brazil Solidarity Initiative On Sunday 2 October, over 150 million Brazilian voters will elect the next president of one of the world’s largest democracies. The choice is between the far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and progressive candidate Lula da Silva.  Polls show Lula has a strong lead in the polls and is on track to pass the 50% threshold needed to be elected in the first round.  Lula previously served as Brazil’s president after being elected as the country’s first working class leader earlier this century. When he left office in 2011 he had record-high approval ratin ..read more

By Dr Francisco Dominguez At the “¡Viva la solidaridad! Latin America’s Left Leads the Way” fringe event organised during Labour Party Conference, an array of speakers showed solidarity with struggle across Latin America, expressing strong support for Lula’s victory in the first round at the coming election on October 2nd. The meeting was hosted by Labour Friends of Progressive Latin America, Brazil Solidarity Initiative, Friends of Ecuador, Venezuela Solidarity Campaign, also supported by PCS, GMB, NEU and Unite and Thompsons Solicitors. Addressing a packed room with over 150 in attendance ov ..read more