Ione Wells

Yeah, I think he was always a real, as we say in the UK, a Marmite figure. People love him or hate him. As president, he did do lots of things. He slashed environmental protections in the Amazon, which his critics hated because it fuelled deforestation. But his supporters loved it because it promoted farming, mining, business in the area.

Yeah, I think he was always a real, as we say in the UK, a Marmite figure. People love him or hate him. As president, he did do lots of things. He slashed environmental protections in the Amazon, which his critics hated because it fuelled deforestation. But his supporters loved it because it promoted farming, mining, business in the area.

He still actually got quite a lot of support in that sort of Amazon region where... People that are working in agriculture, for example, want more development in the area, want less environmental protections. He did things like raise the minimum wage, relaxed gun ownership laws. He was very opposed to abortion, same-sex marriage.

He still actually got quite a lot of support in that sort of Amazon region where... People that are working in agriculture, for example, want more development in the area, want less environmental protections. He did things like raise the minimum wage, relaxed gun ownership laws. He was very opposed to abortion, same-sex marriage.

He also oversaw the country's COVID response, which again was quite divisive because... Brazil had one of the worst death tolls in the world. Brazil has now surpassed China's official death toll from the coronavirus, but the country's president continues to downplay the threat from the virus.

He also oversaw the country's COVID response, which again was quite divisive because... Brazil had one of the worst death tolls in the world. Brazil has now surpassed China's official death toll from the coronavirus, but the country's president continues to downplay the threat from the virus.

His supporters praised him for some of what he did, including, you know, big, big cash handout programs for some of the poorest in the country. But... His critics accused him of really downplaying the virus. There was a famous viral clip of him where he essentially just sort of dismissed it as a little flu, you know, was accused of not taking it very seriously.

His supporters praised him for some of what he did, including, you know, big, big cash handout programs for some of the poorest in the country. But... His critics accused him of really downplaying the virus. There was a famous viral clip of him where he essentially just sort of dismissed it as a little flu, you know, was accused of not taking it very seriously.

And I think that period, especially, you know, I think actually we did see this a bit around the world everywhere, that no matter what the policy of the person in charge during Covid, you know, the response to it could really energise people.

And I think that period, especially, you know, I think actually we did see this a bit around the world everywhere, that no matter what the policy of the person in charge during Covid, you know, the response to it could really energise people.

the leaders supporters, but it could also really turn people against them because of, you know, some of the struggles that people were going through at the time. So he definitely did face a sort of big backlash, you know, by his critics, but I think he has still managed to maintain a very strong base, even to this day now in Brazil.

the leaders supporters, but it could also really turn people against them because of, you know, some of the struggles that people were going through at the time. So he definitely did face a sort of big backlash, you know, by his critics, but I think he has still managed to maintain a very strong base, even to this day now in Brazil.

That's right. President Lula da Silva, now President Lula da Silva, who he was running against, ran again in 2022, which did give the left a big boost because he's a big name, a well-known figure, had been president before. Lula won the first round of that election in 2022, but not quite by enough to secure it for him. In the second round, Lula only received 50.9% of the vote. Bolsonaro got 49.1%.

That's right. President Lula da Silva, now President Lula da Silva, who he was running against, ran again in 2022, which did give the left a big boost because he's a big name, a well-known figure, had been president before. Lula won the first round of that election in 2022, but not quite by enough to secure it for him. In the second round, Lula only received 50.9% of the vote. Bolsonaro got 49.1%.

So this was the closest presidential election result in Brazil to date. which I think really laid the ground for a very, very controversial result either way. When that result happened, Bolsonaro neither conceded defeat nor really challenged the results that divided the nation. There was a lot of kind of uncertainty as to why he wasn't really saying much at the time.

So this was the closest presidential election result in Brazil to date. which I think really laid the ground for a very, very controversial result either way. When that result happened, Bolsonaro neither conceded defeat nor really challenged the results that divided the nation. There was a lot of kind of uncertainty as to why he wasn't really saying much at the time.

His supporters didn't want to recognise President Lula as their new president. We saw some of Bolsonaro's supporters, for example, driving lorries to set up roadblocks across the country, protest the election result. And in a video statement, Bolsonaro had said to his supporters that blocking roads wasn't a legitimate protest.

His supporters didn't want to recognise President Lula as their new president. We saw some of Bolsonaro's supporters, for example, driving lorries to set up roadblocks across the country, protest the election result. And in a video statement, Bolsonaro had said to his supporters that blocking roads wasn't a legitimate protest.

There was a bit of a confusion about what he was really doing. There were these ongoing protests, including some of his supporters trying to attack the headquarters of the police in Brasilia, demonstrating near military bases as well. But despite this, on the 1st of January in 2023, President Lula was sworn in.

There was a bit of a confusion about what he was really doing. There were these ongoing protests, including some of his supporters trying to attack the headquarters of the police in Brasilia, demonstrating near military bases as well. But despite this, on the 1st of January in 2023, President Lula was sworn in.