Bulldozer required
Lula begins his second term with a pledge to unblock Brazil's sluggish economy
“CHANGE” was the motto of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during his first term as Brazil's president. The former trade-union leader did a better job of governing Brazil on behalf of its poorest citizens than of cleaning up corruption, as he promised. On being sworn in for a second term on January 1st, Lula opted for multiple mantras including “growth”, “inclusion” and “unblocking”. The economy grew by an annual average of just 2.6% during his four-year term in office while the rest of the world grew by 4.8%. Lula now wants to lift Brazil's rate to 5%.
This article appeared in the The Americas section of the print edition under the headline “Bulldozer required”
The Americas January 6th 2007
From the January 6th 2007 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionDiscover more
Entrevista con Javier Milei, presidente de Argentina
Transcripción de su encuentro con nuestro corresponsal
An interview with Javier Milei, Argentina’s president
A transcript of his meeting with our journalist
Mexico and Canada brace for Donald Trump’s tariff thrashing
Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum and Canada’s Justin Trudeau are taking different approaches to looming trade war
Javier Milei, free-market revolutionary
Argentina’s president explains how he has overturned the old economic order
Is Uruguay too stable for its own good?
The new president must deal with serious problems with growth, education and crime
Bolsonaro’s bid to regain Brazil’s presidency may end in prison
Brazilian police have accused some of his backers of involvement not just in a coup, but in an assassination plot