Brazil’s far-left socialist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said in a television interview aired on Tuesday that President Joe Biden is a “greater guarantee for the survival of democracy” than his likely opponent. He said he is hopeful that President Joe Biden will be re-elected. Former President Donald Trump.
“I’m not an American voter, but I think it’s clear that Biden is a greater guarantee for the survival of democracy in the world and in the United States,” Lula said.
Lula said he has a “good relationship” with Biden and praised him as a friend of organized labor.
“Mr. Biden has been in a position to protect workers from the beginning. I hope he wins the election,” he said.
lula and biden launched In September 2023, a joint workers’ rights initiative will be launched with goals including ending child labor and worker exploitation and supporting the “clean energy transition.”
Lula herself also trade union activist As a young man, he rose to become president of Brazil’s metalworkers’ union. He was first elected president in 2002 as the candidate of the radical left Labor Party, and the beginning of his term ended with widespread accusations of corruption. Lula was ultimately convicted as part of a massive bribery scandal and sentenced to decades in prison. Lula’s conviction disabled In March 2021, Brazil’s Supreme Court ruled on the jurisdiction issue, paving the way for a presidential election.
Former President of Brazil (2003-2011) Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrives at the Federal Police Headquarters in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil, on April 7, 2018, to be sentenced to 12 years in prison. That is scheduled. (Wyler Andrei) /AFP via Getty Images)
Biden is enthusiastic Congratulations for lula win The October 2022 election was a surprisingly close race with incumbent Jair Bolsonaro. friendly terms with Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump.
Bolsonaro supporters a riot broke out Large-scale riots broke out in Brazil after Lula’s election, causing extensive damage to three government buildings. Lula condemned the riots as an attempted “coup.” Both the Brazilian and American leftists frequently compare this to the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol following President Biden’s election in 2020.
Bolsonaro is under investigation by Lula’s government on suspicion of inciting a coup and is barred from running for public office again until 2030.
On Monday, hundreds of thousands of his supporters rallied Showing support for Bolsonaro in Sao Paulo. Many of them were waving Israeli flags, as was Bolsonaro himself, highlighting the deep differences between Lula and Bolsonaro, and potentially between Lula and Biden. Lula, a socialist, is an outspoken supporter of Palestinian terrorism and a critic of Israel.
People demonstrate in support of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, on January 25, 2024. (Gustavo Basso/NurPhoto via Getty)
Lula was banned from visiting Israel this month after he compared the Israeli government to Holocaust-era Nazi Germany in remarks to reporters. He reversed Hamas propaganda that Israeli forces are killing Palestinian women and children in Gaza.
Biden’s long-standing support for Israel sway Under intense pressure from the radical Democratic left, he remains reluctant to support his friend Lula, who has accused Israelis of “genocide.”
Last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled He traveled to Brasilia and had a 90-minute meeting during which he told Lula that the Biden administration did not agree with Lula’s anti-Israel statements. Mr. Blinken said he had a “candid exchange” with Mr. Lula about this and Lula’s case. criticism Criticizes the Biden administration for supplying weapons to Ukraine.
