Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is the 39th President of Brazil. He is widely known as Lula, his middle name. It is interesting to note that literally translated, lula means squid. He started his presidency in January of 2003 and was recently re-elected in 2006 to continue being president of Brazil until the end of 2010.

One of the main things Lula likes to focus on is Brazil's large hunger issue. He started a program called Fome Zero (zero hunger). The program has a government budget but also accepts donations from anyone locally or internationally. The money is given to regions of the country that are having real difficulties.

Here are some quotes by Lula:

• "Hope has defeated fear." (After his victory in 2002 Presidential elections in Brazil)

• "One day we will make land reform in this country, and one day the worker´s class will take control of the production means of this country and they will stop investing in weapons." (Interview to newspaper "Jornal da Tarde", January 1989)

• "I am the son of an illiterate father and mother" (In August 2005 speech)

• "We do not accept defamations against our partners." (Referring to US criticisms of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, March 29, 2005.)

• "There are many people talking badly about us in the world." (In Ciudad Guyana, Venezuela, March 29, 2005)

• "I am afraid of the isolation." (About his contact to the people)

• "No candidate is better than me". (During campaign for Presidency, newspaper "O Estado de S. Paulo", March 24, 2002)

• "The Atlantic [ocean] is only a torrential river, with white sands beaches, that joins two countries." (In Gabon 04/27/2004)

• "(...)When Napoleon went to China (...)". ("O Globo" and several newspapers, May 1, 2004. Note: Napoleon did not travel to China, Marco Polo did)

• "There was a day when I woke up very angry and phoned to [George W.] Bush." (Speech to Brazilian Labour Party politicians, April 28, 2004.)

• "Don't think that you have did a little thing in the history of the humanity, no. Possibly, the citizen who voted for me is not conscious of his gesture in an important country like Brazil." (newspaper "Folha de São Paulo, September 4, 2004)

• "I am a man without a sin ". (After taking Holy Communion during the funeral mass for Pope John Paul II without a prior confession.)

• "Nobody in this country has more moral authority and ethics than me." (June 21, 2005 after corruption accusations were filed against several of his close personal friends and allies)

• "This is a government that has not been putting the dirt under the carpet." (June 23, 2005, during a nationally televised speech)

• "The government tries to do what's easy because what's hard is hard."(June 17, 2004 in a speech)