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Brazil and us
Lula’s victory means the majority of people in Brazil exercised their common sense rather than succumbing to fake news and hatred.
Former Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva delivers a speech during the launch of his campaign for Brazil's October presidential election in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on May 7, 2022. (AFP/Nelson Almeida)
The defeat of the right-wing incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro to leftist former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the Oct. 30 runoff election may dampen President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s wishes to gather all leaders of the world’s 20 largest economies in the upcoming Group of 20 Summit in Bali. As a lame-duck president, Bolsonaro looks to have lost the appetite to attend the Bali event.
The participation of a Brazilian leader in Bali is important for Indonesia in particular when the G20 leaders discuss climate change and global deforestation. Brazil and Indonesia are home to the world’s largest rainforests together with the Congo. Deforestation is regarded as one of the main sources of environmental degradation and, hence, natural disasters.
The joint commitment of Indonesia and Brazil amid global calls for better forest governance will strengthen the developing world’s demand for more responsibilities of developed nations in mitigating climate change through substantial assistance and economic incentives to reduce deforestation. Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous nation, while Brazil is the seventh, meaning the two countries represent a large population who depend on forests for their living.
Together with other members of the G20 from developing countries, Indonesia aims to increase the bargaining power of the emerging economies vis-à-vis the advanced nations. In fact, the developing countries make up the majority of the G20.
In Brazil, Lula has won the race, but the country will remain largely divided as evident in the thin margin separating him from Bolsonaro. Lula’s victory, however, also means the majority of people in Brazil exercised their common sense rather than succumbing to fake news and hatred.
Bolsonaro is known for his admiration of former United States president Donald Trump, who has denied the dangers of COVID-19 and supported white supremacy. The outgoing Brazilian President may follow in Trump’s footsteps in accusing his election defeat as a result of massive electoral fraud.
Indonesia went through such a critical period and when the dust was settled both the winner and loser worked together as a team for the good of the nation.
In the meantime, Lulu has promised he will be president of the whole nation. “As of January 1, 2023, I will govern 215 million Brazilians and not just for those who voted for me,” he said. “There are not two Brazils. We are one country, one people and one great nation.”
Lula won the 2002 elections with the leftist Workers Party's support and was reelected in 2006. When he left office in 2010 Brazil’s economy was booming, which was why he received an 83 percent approval rating at the end of his second term.
But in 2017, Lula was sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison in a bribery scandal. In 2021, Brazil’s Supreme Court acquitted him, paving his way for the 2022 race against Bolsonaro. Interestingly, the international community showed strong empathy to Lula, who they believed did not get the fair trial he deserved.
Lula’s comeback to the highest office hopefully will also mean the return of Brazil’s progressive and proactive participation in international affairs as the voice of developing nations. Cooperation between Indonesia and Brazil will only strengthen the force of developing nations.
