Finally, one winter morning in 1989, something clicked. “Lula lá – a star is shining. “Lula lá – the blossoming of hope”, sang the Brazilian songwriter who loved Cat Stevens as he sat in front of his computer with a guitar. The subject of Atzioli’s conversation was Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a shoe polisher who became the leader of a union preparing to launch a once-in-a-lifetime effort to become the first president of Brazil’s working class. “I was so excited,” Atsili said of the moment when he composed the memorable bell for Lula’s first presidential election. “I called everyone to the campaign and told them, ‘I think I did it.’ Lula’s first campaign ended in failure, but Acioli’s song, Sem Medo de Ser Feliz [Unafraid of Being Happy]became an ongoing success, providing the soundtrack as the bearded left continued its quest for power in the following years. Lula lost two more elections, in 1994 and 1998, before finally triumphing in 2002 – a milestone in Latin America’s largest democracy that marked nearly a decade of historic social inclusion and poverty reduction. Many believed that Lula’s amazing story of poverty in power was over when he resigned in 2010 with high acceptance rates and was named “the most popular politician on Earth” by Barack Obama. When Lula was jailed for alleged corruption and excluded from the 2018 elections, his political future seemed fragmented. But allies say the chaos unleashed by the man who won that year’s election, far-right radical Zaire Bolsonaro, and Lula’s unexpected political recovery last year persuaded the left-wing veteran to postpone retirement and return to retirement. “There is simply no way he can escape this mission,” said Fátima Bezerra, a leading figure in Lula’s Labor Party (PT) who has known him since its inception in the 1980s. “He fully understands the danger we face,” Bezerra said of the incessant authoritarian outbursts by the Brazilian president, who admires the dictatorship. “At the moment, what is at stake is democracy itself.” Fátima Bezerra, a leading figure in Lula’s Labor Party. Photo: Francisco Proner / Agence VU / The Observer On May 7, Lula, now 76, will officially announce his sixth candidacy for the presidency at an event in Sao Paulo. Acioli’s anthem is back on the playlist as a new generation of leftists try to shed the curtain on Bolsonaro’s ultra-conservative era. “They should swallow the fact that Lula will be the next president of our country,” said Nanda Matini, a 24-year-old actress, after dancing to a mixed version of Acioli’s jingle at a rally for Lula near Rio. . Matinny, who was five when Lula first came to power in 2003, said the song made her feel nostalgic for a past she was too young to know. “I want to live what I did not live before. “We have to,” he said. “We need this man to be elected to rebuild Brazil.” Tens of millions of Brazilians seem to agree, with opinion polls giving Lula a significant advantage over Bolsonaro, a former paratrooper who is widely blamed for the catastrophic failure of Brazil’s response to a Covid epidemic that has killed more than 60 people. undermines democracy and destroys the environment. Felipe Nunes, head of the Quaest poll, said Lula’s lead did not mean he was seen as “harmless” or that voters had forgotten about the major corruption scandals that plagued his government and his successor, Dilma Rousseff. But unlike the current one, Lula was considered a credible political expert who could bring stability. “People are looking for someone who can handle the economy. “People are looking for hope to have a decent quality of life once again,” Nunes said. Many progressive Brazilians are worried about the lack of generational renewal at the top of Lula’s party, whose main figures are now in their 60s or 70s. Lula will be 81 years old at the end of his term if elected. But the former president remains by far Brazil’s most prominent left-wing politician and – without a direct heir on the horizon – the best to defeat Bolsonaro. Zaire Bolsonaro is welcomed by supporters during the inauguration of a new train station in Parnamirim, Rio Grande do Norte. Photo: Francisco Proner / Agence VU / The Observer During an interview at his home in Natal, the seaside capital of the northeastern state of Rio Grande do Norte, Atzioli expressed optimism that Lula would be able to end four years of Bolsonarians misery in the October elections. “Everything shows that he will win,” the 82-year-old composer said excitedly. Bezerra, the governor of Rio Grande do Norte, said it was “absolutely hopeful” that her friend would lead Brazil out of the “authoritarian and dark nightmare”. “I have seen him and he is full of energy and he wants to go,” said Bezerra, 66, framed by a red Lula banner with the words: “Brazil Happy Again”. Recent weeks, however, have suggested that Lula’s mission may be tougher than some progressives had hoped. With public outrage over the Covid disaster in Brazil fading as normalcy returns, some polls suggest Bolsonaro is gaining ground. Around Natália Bonavides’s headquarters in Natal, a graffiti artist has painted a pun on the president’s name: “Acabou-sonaro” (Bolson-over). But Bonavidis, the youngest member of the PT Congress, urged the president’s opponents not to underestimate him. “Even after all the tragedies that have been caused in the last three years, Bolsonaro remains an extremely strong candidate,” the 33-year-old insisted. Bonavides, one of the main beacons of Brazil’s new left, said part of the danger was Bolsonaro’s ability to use the state machine and federal funds to buy political support and win over voters. He was also concerned about the spread of false news, about whether Bolsonaro would accept the election result, and about the poisonous political atmosphere that has prevailed in Brazil under its pro-gun president. In recent weeks, the populist who admires Donald Trump has described the 2022 election as an epic war between the god-fearing “good” and the communist “evil” that has led some to fear violence. Bonavides feels the toxic mood more than most. Last year, a right-wing TV expert close to Bolsonaro said publicly that people like her needed to disappear with machine guns and urged her to stay and wash her husband’s pants. A photo of Mariel Franco, the left-wing politician in Rio who was assassinated in 2018, hangs outside Bonavidis’s office – a reminder of the dangers of politics in 21st century Brazil. But the young MP promised to insist. “I can not say that I am not afraid, but it is important that we do not let these things paralyze us.” Natalia Bonavidi, the youngest member of the PT Congress, in her office in Natal. Photo: Francisco Proner / Agence VU / The Observer Bonavides believed that one of the keys to defeating Bolsonaro was to deal with the poor of the cities most affected by the financial effects of Covid. One late afternoon he drove north to an abandoned railway depot occupied by dozens of poor families, as Bonavides said he was further plunged into impoverishment by Bolsonaro’s social policies, rising unemployment and inflation. “Every day new families come. “It’s scary,” said Matthew Araούjo, one of the leaders of the occupation, as the families used plastic sheets with mud and rotten planks to build shacks in the warehouse around him. Outside, Bonavidis pledged to help the squatters fight the eviction and urged them to link their suffering to the policies of the current Brazilian leader. “The Bolsonaros of this world have never done anything to give people their rights – and they never will. “Because the rights are not granted – they have been confiscated,” he shouted loudly as an activist held a red flag with the words: “Fora Bolsonaro!” (Bolsonaro out!). Despite his enthusiasm for Lula’s return, composer Atzioli also expressed caution, comparing the coming months to a political minefield. “There are many pitfalls in front of us,” the musician warned. “Even now, there are so many lies that people still believe.” Despite the scale of the Brazilian coronavirus disaster and the corruption scandals that have plagued the government and Bolsonaro’s relatives, the president has maintained the unwavering support of about 25% of voters. Hardliners remain convinced that their leader is leading a just conservative crusade to prevent Brazil from becoming a communist dictatorship under Lula. Thomas Trauman, a political commentator and former communications minister under the PT, said it was a pious desire to imagine that Bolsonaro had no chance. “Lula is the favorite. It is 70-30. “But that does not mean that 70 always wins,” Trauman warned, urging Lula’s campaign not to underestimate the depth of anti-PT sentiment and the relationship that many continue to have between the party and the financial crisis and corruption. Helio Oliveira, an Air Force reserve and Bolsonaro Natal activist, said he would consider leaving Brazil or moving to a remote countryside if Lula won: “He’s a bad character who lacks values.” Hilton Acioli, composer of the song Sem Medo de Ser Feliz. Photo: Francisco Proner / Agence VU / The Observer As he contemplated the upcoming match, Acioli sat on his porch and began performing the song he had written to launch Lula’s first campaign more than three decades ago. “You are not afraid to be happy! Without fear of being happy! “Without being afraid to be happy!” he sang as he played his guitar. “It is unfortunate to talk about a savior of the nation, but somehow …
