Lula election ‘victory for Brazilian rainforest and indigenous people’

Lula's return to power in Brazil has restored hope for environmental and social reasons. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved

Swiss politicians and NGOs have been reacting to the presidential election victory of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brazil.

Switzerland’s foreign minister and current president, Ignazio Cassis, congratulated Lula in a written letter, the foreign ministry confirmed on Monday.

Several Swiss political parties also took to social media to celebrate leftist Lula’s tight success and the end of Jair Bolsonaro’s rightwing presidency.

The left-wing Social Democratic Party tweeted that the result is a “victory for democracy, more social justice and climate protection”, while the Green Party spoke of an “election victory that gives hope – for democracy, human rights, and global climate protection”.

Rainforest concerns

“There is now hope that the situation will improve for the indigenous communities [in Brazil] and the protection of the environment,” stated Julia Büsser, campaign manager for the NGO Society for Threatened Peoples.

Under Bolsonaro’s tenure, destruction of the Amazon rain forest increased along with deaths of many indigenous people who live there, the NGO said.

For its part, Greenpeace said it welcomed the election result but pointed out that Bolsonaro’s party still had control of Brazil’s Congress.

Lula’s return to power carries the hopes of many people that environmental destruction will slow in Brazil.

The presidential election campaign was contentious and frequently violent. In Switzerland, supporters of both factions had to be separated by police while demonstrating in favour of their preferred candidate.