Who is Lula? From ex-worker and prisoner to Brazil’s president again

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has won Brazil’s presidency again, completing a dramatic political comeback after a first-round setback. His return matters in a sharply divided country and bucks a regional trend of victories by right-wing leaders; uniting Brazil will be a major challenge.

Born into poverty, Lula worked as a child before becoming a metalworker and influential trade union leader, then helped found the Workers’ Party in 1980. As president from 2003 to 2010, he expanded social programmes, including Bolsa Família, which helped about 44 million people, and left office with high approval ratings. His later career was derailed by corruption convictions and imprisonment, though the article notes the wider political turmoil surrounding the Operation Car Wash investigation.