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2002, they elected Workers’ Party candidate Luiz Inácio
Lula da Silva to the presidency in the largest landslide in
Brazilian history. During his two terms as president
(2003
–
2010) Lula tried to fight poverty, malnutrition and
under-education through large-scale public-works pro-
jects. When Lula left office, he was considered one of the
most popular presidents in Brazil’s history.
Dilma Rousseff, Lula’s chief of staff from 2005 to
2010, made history by becoming the first woman elected
president of Brazil in October 2010. She took office on
January 1, 2011. Rousseff maintained many of Lula’s eco-
nomic and social programs during her first term. She has
also pushed for the government to complete a number of
controversial hydroelectric dams in the Amazon River basin.
Despite some improvements in recent years, Brazil continues to have
many social problems. Among them are widespread poverty, a fragile health
care system, urban overcrowding, and environmental issues. In 2013, some
Brazilians began to protest against the high cost of public transportation. This
eventually grew into a series of protests throughout the country, with demon-
strators angry about many problems and issues. Despite this, Rousseff was
elected to a second term as president in October 2014.
A Legacy of Inequality 25
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
TEXT-DEPENDENT QUESTIONS
1. What ruler declared Brazil’s independence in 1822?
2. What Brazilian president modernized the country during his rule from 1930 to 1954?