Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazilian union leader and politician, 35th President of Brazil
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Brazilian Portuguese: [luˈiz iˈnasju ˈlulɐ dɐ ˈsiwvɐ] (listen); born Luiz Inácio da Silva; 27 October 1945) is a Brazilian politician and former union leader who served as the 35th president of Brazil from 2003 to 2010. He was a founding member of the Workers' Party (PT) and ran unsuccessfully for president three times before achieving victory in the 2002 election. He was re-elected in 2006.In May 2021, Lula stated that he will run for a third term in the October 2022 general election, against the incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro. He was 17% ahead of Bolsonaro in an opinion poll in January 2022.During his time in office, Lula introduced sweeping social programs including Bolsa Família and Fome Zero, aimed at combating poverty and lifting the station of the country's working class. As president, Lula played a prominent role in international matters including activities related to the nuclear program of Iran and climate change, being described as "a man with audacious ambitions to alter the balance of power among nations".Succeeded by his former Chief of Staff, Dilma Rousseff, Lula left an enduring mark on Brazilian politics in the form of Lulism. He has been called one of the most popular politicians in Brazilian history and while in office was one of the most popular in the world. In 2011, Lula, who was a smoker for 40 years, was diagnosed with throat cancer and underwent chemotherapy, leading to a successful recovery.In early 2016, Lula was appointed Chief of Staff under Rousseff, but Justice Gilmar Mendes of the Supreme Federal Court blocked the appointment due to ongoing federal investigations at the time. In July 2017, Lula was convicted on charges of money laundering and corruption in a controversial trial, and sentenced to nine and a half years in prison. The federal judge of the case, Sergio Moro, later became Minister of Justice and Public Security in Jair Bolsonaro's government. After an unsuccessful appeal, Lula was arrested in April 2018 and spent 580 days in jail. Lula attempted to run in the 2018 presidential election, but was disqualified under Brazil's "Clean Slate" Law.In November 2019, the Supreme Federal Court ruled that incarcerations with pending appeals were unlawful and Lula was released from prison as a result. In March 2021, Supreme Court Justice Edson Fachin ruled that all of Lula's convictions must be nullified, because he was tried by a court that did not have proper jurisdiction over his case. Fachin's ruling, which was confirmed by other Supreme Court Justices in April 2021, restored Lula's political rights. The Supreme Federal Court ruled later in March 2021 that judge Moro who oversaw his corruption trial, was biased. All of the cases Moro had brought against Lula were annulled by 24 June 2021.