As our readers and listeners have already seen, this week's Brazil Report's Explaining Brazil podcast delved into the global ambitions of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva that overshadow his usual preoccupation with domestic policy.
In his attempt to emerge from the diplomatic isolation of former President Jair Bolsonaro and return Brazil to the world stage (a priority of President Lula's first two terms, from 2003 to 2011), the center-left leader has been criticized for enjoying a bit too much travel and participation in international summits.
In fairness, President Lula only had about a week of peace during his third term in office, that is, until the riots erupted in Brasilia on January 8, 2023.
Since then, his life hasn't been easy, to say the least.
President Lula finds himself stymied by many challenges, plagued by the difficulty of negotiating with a deeply conservative Congress on issues such as taxation of purchases from abroad, the legal aspects of abortion and drugs, and flooding in Rio Grande do Sul (one of the worst natural disasters in Brazilian history).
Finally, recent tensions with the central bank are another example of how difficult it is for President Lula to implement strong domestic policies.
For a head of state, performing well at home is crucial – after all, Lula himself has admitted that he would like to run again in 2026 to avoid a “caveman” wearing the presidential sash – and if he continues to prioritize foreign affairs over domestic politics, he risks losing the next elections.
You can see the making of this cartoon on The Brazilian Report's TikTok account (@brazilianreport).
