President Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva was born in Pernambuco in 1945 and later relocated to São Paulo, where he trained as a mechanical turner through SENAI. His work in the industrial region of São Bernardo do Campo led to his involvement in the metalworkers’ union, where he rose to the presidency in the mid-1970s.
In 1980, Lula was among the founders of the Workers’ Party (PT) and later contributed to the establishment of the Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT) in 1983. He also participated actively in the Diretas Já campaign for direct presidential elections. Lula was elected to the National Constituent Assembly in 1986, taking part in the drafting of the post-dictatorship constitution.
After presidential bids in 1989, 1994, and 1998, Lula was elected President of Brazil in 2002, when he implemented an agenda centred on reducing poverty, expanding employment and strengthening economic stability. Throughout his political career, he has consistently emphasised environmental protection, particularly in safeguarding the Amazon and advancing sustainable development policies. He was re-elected in 2006 and left office in 2011.
Lula subsequently assembled a broad political coalition, selecting Geraldo Alckmin as his running mate and won the 2022 presidential election. He assumed office on 1 January 2023, becoming the first Brazilian democratically elected to three presidential terms.
