Lula’s mission to restore Brazilian democracy

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva confronts the task of reclaiming democratic values after his predecessor’s tenure undermined democracy with regressive policies. — PALACIO DO PLANALTO/Flickr/ CC BY-ND 2.0

THE Amazon summit in Belem, Brazil, that concluded on Aug 9 came at an opportune time for Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The summit presented Lula, as he is widely known, a chance to restore his country’s environmental and international reputation after what he called four “disastrous” years under his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro.

At the close of the summit, eight South American countries – Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela – signed a joint declaration laying out a detailed roadmap to promote sustainable development, end deforestation and fight organised crime contributing to deforestation.