Haunted by Insurrection, Lula Is In a Hurry to Change Brazil
Conversations with Lula allies past and present show a president marked by the Jan. 8 riots, angry and determined to press his agenda against increasing odds.
Brazil's capital was ravaged by supporters of Jair Bolsonaro, who were protesting Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s presidential victory.
Photographer: Arthur Menescal/BloombergLate on the afternoon of Jan. 8, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva stared out at Brazil’s ravaged capital from a third floor balcony of the presidential palace and reflected on how his presidency had been upended.
The leader known universally as Lula had spent hours wading through piles of overturned desks, across floors defiled by rioters, and past the remnants of what were once priceless historical artifacts. Somber and silent, it was only now that the scale of the challenge he faced hit home, according to a close ally who discussed that day’s events in Brasilia with the president.