The elected president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, is the glue that the Latin American left needed. His victory not only represents the end of the far-right government of Jair Bolsonaro, but also the collective legitimization of the new wave of progressive governments in the region, despite the great differences that exist between the respective models.
In the first wave of progressivism in Latin America, at the beginning of this century, Lula rivaled the leadership of the left with the Venezuelan Hugo Chávez and his Bolivarian extremism. Then, the different governments were grouped into two blocs of different intensity, but now, with the failure of Chavismo consummated, the return of Lula and his developmentalist social democracy is seen as a model to be followed by his colleagues.
The magnitude of Brazil, the largest and most populous country on the subcontinent, is only comparable to that of López Obrador's Mexico – leftist with a populist verb – and therefore Lula's role will go beyond radiating past social policies to neighboring countries. proven successful.
Although within Brazil it will not be easy for him due to the pressure of a Bolsonaro who is here to stay, abroad Lula will above all play a role as a regional interlocutor with the EU and with the US of the progressive Joe Biden; as a mediator in conflicts on the continent; and as a luxury defender of transformative proposals contested from the oligarchic right, such as the long-awaited reform of the iniquitous pension model that Chilean President Gabriel Boric has just presented.
The Argentine Alberto Fernández took less than 24 hours after Lula's victory to travel to São Paulo to meet with him. The differences between Peronism and Petism are immense, but being anointed by Lula can work miracles, especially when one is needed to avoid a debacle in a country like Argentina, which will have 100% inflation at the end of the year.
Lula could also lend a hand to the cornered Peruvian Pedro Castillo –especially now that he has abjured Marxism–, who has asked the OAS for protection, where Brazil's weight is relevant.
In Colombia, Gustavo Petro has visited the authoritarian Nicolás Maduro this week in Caracas, opening a new path of dialogue to democratize Venezuela, where Lula will also be very listened to.
While the EU suffers from internal and collective moral leadership, Lula returns to power in Brazil to become the pal de paller of the Latin American left.
