Brazil-U.S. Relations
Abstract
On January 1, 2007, Luis In cio "Lula" da Silva, of the leftist Workers Party (PT), was inaugurated for a second four-year term as President of Brazil. Lula was re-elected in the second round of voting with fairly broad popular support. His immediate tasks were to boost Brazil's lagging economic growth and address the issues of crime, violence, and poverty. Despite President Lula s personal popularity, many predicted that inter-party rivalries within his governing coalition would make it hard for him to push his agenda through Brazil s fractured legislature. President Lula enjoys high approval ratings (70% in December 2008) and is benefiting from a relatively strong economy (GDP growth was expected to exceed 5% in 2008), despite the onset of the international financial crisis. Ongoing corruption investigations involving President Lula s PT have not diminished the strength of his second term in office. Some have criticized President Lula, however, for not using his significant political capital to gain legislative approval for a more robust political and economic reform agenda.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 21, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA494137
Entities
People
- Clare R. Seelke
- Peter J. Meyer
Organizations
- Library of Congress