God bless Brazil and Lula too

This Sunday, October 4, the South American giant goes to the polls in one of the most consequential election days in its recent history. Brazil's presidential first round is not a simple contest for the head of state but a historic crossroads between two diametrically opposed models of the country: the consolidation of a prosperous, fair and inclusive Brazil, or the dangerous return of a militarist extremism that seeks to undermine the democratic foundations of the nation under the banner of “Bolsonarismo”.

At the center of this crossroads stands Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a leader whose career transcends Brazil's borders to position him as an anchor of stability, dialogue and progress across the entire region. His record does not rest on abstract formulas but on tangible results in economic recovery, reindustrialization, and the strengthening of food sovereignty and public health. The continuity of Lula's social policies represents the guarantee that millions of families will keep climbing out of poverty and that human dignity remains at the heart of the state.

To understand the roots of the political project led by Lula da Silva and its transformative impact on Brazil, it is essential to analyze the concrete advances achieved across four fundamental dimensions of his administration: health, economy, education and foreign policy.

Economy and sustainable development through growth with equity. Under Lula's leadership, economic policy has shown that fiscal responsibility and social justice are not antagonistic but complementary. Through the Bolsa Familia program, which provides direct support to more than 20 million families, a direct impact has been generated on basic consumption and the revival of local commerce. Macroeconomic stability has been prioritized, combined with incentives for the creation of formal jobs and for domestic industrial production, and investment packages of more than $3.5 billion were implemented to protect jobs and promote strategic productive sectors in the face of pressures from global trade. This is what we can call an administration focused on defending economic sovereignty and reindustrialization.

The strengthening of the Unified Health System (SUS) is one of the greatest achievements in protecting the vulnerable population.

Cash transfers and social programs are conditioned on compliance with periodic medical checkups and mandatory childhood vaccination schedules, which drastically reduced infant mortality rates. Its administration has also been marked by initiatives such as Farmácia Popular and “Mais Médicos”, guaranteeing access to essential medicines at low cost or free of charge, and deploying health professionals to urban peripheries and neglected rural regions.

Education is conceived in this model as the indispensable tool for breaking the intergenerational poverty trap, and that is why the Brazilian people identify with Lula and his administration. Among the budget targets, notable progress has been made in allocating 10% of GDP to public education, as well as an expansion of the network of federal universities and institutes across the national territory, along with the continuation of racial and social quota policies that opened the doors of higher education to young people from low-income backgrounds.

Brazil has established itself as an indispensable geopolitical actor on the international stage, and this is thanks to Lula Da Silva, who has worked to promote peaceful dialogue, defend self-determination, and build alliances within the BRICS bloc, consolidating the voice of emerging economies. Likewise, Lula has championed the defense of the Amazon as a state priority and an engine for the transition to sustainable development, returning to Brazil the role of mediator and promoter of integration in Latin America.

By contrast, the rise of “bolsonarismo” and the neofascist far right poses a serious threat to republican coexistence, social rights and the country's stability, in the face of a wave of political-entertainment neopopulism driven by Donald Trump. Militarist rhetoric, the sowing of social hatred, identity polarization and incitement to institutional assault offer no answers to the nation's structural challenges; instead, they promote a retreat toward dark eras of authoritarianism and abandonment of the most vulnerable sectors. Lula is the best option for Brazil and for the region.

Popular support for Lula is no accident. Public opinion polls from highly regarded firms such as Datafolha and Quaest confirm the strength of his candidacy in the final stretch of the campaign. With 42% voting intention according to Datafolha and 39% according to Quaest, Lula holds first place in electoral preference, ahead of the 38% and 34% won by his main rival from the militarist right. These figures reflect that citizens see in the veteran leader the experience and maturity needed to steer the nation's future in uncertain times.

This Sunday, October 4, the vote is not only about electing a president; it decides the ethical and social course of a Latin American giant. May reason, fraternity and democratic commitment prevail at the ballot box. For the peace of the region and the well-being of its people: God bless Brazil and Lula too.