Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Fast Facts
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (1954 to 2011) was a politician and former president of Brazil. During his eight-year presidency, he presided over an economic boom that brought Brazil its highest-ever level of growth, the largest increase in per capita income in Latin America and one of the strongest global investment records, including the first investment in the world by a private company led by a non-European.
In recent years, his policies have been criticized for being erratic, corrupt, in violation of human rights, and even for leading Brazil toward greater instability.
Early life and early career
Born on 30 March 1954, Lula da Silva was the son of Joao Baptista da Silva and of Dora Inacio de Campos Lula da Silva, both from wealthy coffee-producing families with strong political backgrounds. Both of them served in the federal government, and both of them were murdered shortly after Lula came to power.
Family background
Joao Baptista da Silva was a conservative liberal political figure who served as the first governor of São Paulo and later as minister of Justice under the dictatorship of Getúlio Vargas. In the early 20th century, he was president of the Chamber of Deputies of the Brazilian Congress. He founded the first political party from the right, the Social Republican Party and led the party against the monarchy. Joao Baptista da Silva was also a member of Brazil’s Constituent Assembly in the first democratic elections after getting the country out of the dictatorship. He was a member of Brazilian Social Democratic Party, Brazilian Labor Party, Brazilian Democratic Labor Party, Brazilian Socialist Party, Brazilian Democratic Socialist Party and Brazilian Republican Party. He served as Minister of Justice, Minister of Finance, Ambassador to France, Finance Minister, Deputy for São Paulo State, and finally President of Brazil. He was considered one of the most influential conservative liberal politicians in the world. He had the first position at the Council of Economic
