Lula's Political Journey: From Factory Worker to Brazil's Presidency

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has won a fourth term in office, defeating the right-wing bolsonarista movement and cementing his place in history as the longest-serving democratically elected leader of Latin America's largest nation. Lula, who turns 81 today, rose from poverty to lead factory strikes in the 1970s and first reached the presidency in 2003 after three failed attempts. His recent campaign shifted strategy, embracing selfies and social media to counter the right's digital dominance. His third term was marked by restoring social programs and curbing Amazon deforestation, though critics note few new proposals. Lula spent 580 days in prison on corruption charges that were later annulled, and he framed his latest run as necessary to "save" democracy from the far right.