Lula da Silva: Brazil's polarizing president

Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a former shoeshine boy and union leader, won the October presidential election against right-wing populist Flávio Bolsonaro, a victory many saw as a win for democracy. The 81-year-old's rise from poverty to the nation's highest office was once considered unlikely. Lula remains a controversial figure, having been jailed in 2017 for corruption in the "Operation Car Wash" scandal, though his conviction was later annulled due to a biased judge. He faces challenges uniting a fragmented parliament and has drawn criticism for supporting oil drilling despite reducing Amazon deforestation. Many voters cast ballots against Bolsonaro rather than for Lula, and a new scandal involving a judge's contacts with a banker emerged during the campaign. His environmental record is mixed, as he champions rainforest protection while backing Petrobras oil exploration near sensitive coral reefs.