Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

name=Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Biography

Lula was born Luiz Inácio da Silva in Caetés district of Garanhuns city in Pernambuco state, Brazil, to a poor, illiterate farming family. His date of birth was registered as 6 October but he claims to have been born, according to his mother's memory, on 27 October.

Related Topics:
Caetés - District - Garanhuns - Pernambuco - 6 October - 27 October

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Soon after Lula's birth, his father moved to the coastal city of Santos (in the Brazilian state of São Paulo), to work as a cargo lifter in the city's harbor. Lula's mother and her 8 children joined his father in 1952, facing a journey of 13 days in an truck's open cargo area. Although their living conditions were better than in Pernambuco, life was still very difficult.

Related Topics:
Santos - São Paulo - 1952

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In 1956 his family relocated to the city of São Paulo, which offered greater opportunities. Lula, his mother and 7 siblings lived in a small room in the back area of a pub.

Related Topics:
1956 - São Paulo - Room - Pub

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Lula had little formal education, quitting school after 4th grade. His professional life began at age 12 as a shoeshine boy. By age 14 he got his first formal job in a steel processing factory. Lula did complete elementary school.

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At age 19, he lost a finger in a accident while working as a press operator in an automobile parts factory. Around that time he became involved in union activities and held several important union posts. Brazil's right-wing dictatorship strongly suppressed trade unions, and in reaction Lula's views moved further to the political left.

Related Topics:
Finger - Accident - Factory - Union - Right-wing - Dictatorship - Trade union

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In 1966 he married Maria de Lourdes, who died together with their son at birth. In 1974 he re-married to Marisa, with whom he had three sons.

Related Topics:
1966 - 1974

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In 1978 he was elected president of the Steel Workers' Union of São Bernardo do Campo and Diadema, the cities home to virtually all of Brazil's automobile manufacturing facilities (such as Ford, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and others) and among the most industrialized in the country.

Related Topics:
1978 - São Bernardo do Campo - Diadema - Ford - Volkswagen - Mercedes-Benz

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In the 1970s, Lula helped organize major union activities including several huge strikes. He was jailed for a month, but was released following protests. The strikes ended with both pro-union and pro-government forces dissatisfied with the outcome.

Related Topics:
1970s - Strikes - Protest

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On 10 February 1980 a group of academics, union leaders and intellectuals, including Lula, founded the Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT) or Workers' Party, a left-wing party with radical ideas created right in the middle of the military dictatorship.

Related Topics:
10 February - 1980 - Partido dos Trabalhadores - Left-wing

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In 1982 he added the nickname Lula (which means "squid" in Portuguese and is also a hypocoristic for Luiz) to his legal name. In 1983 he helped found the Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT) union association.

Related Topics:
1982 - Lula - Portuguese - Hypocoristic - 1983 - Central Única dos Trabalhadores

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In 1984 PT and Lula joined the popular Diretas Já campaign, demanding a direct popular vote for the next Brazilian presidential election. Presidents were then elected by members of Congress, but since the military coup only high-level military personnel (mainly generals) had been appointed. As a direct result of the campaign and after years of popular struggle, the 1989 elections were the first to elect a president by direct popular vote in more than 30 years.

Related Topics:
1984 - Diretas Já - Military coup - Generals - 1989

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In 1992 Lula joined the campaign for the impeachment of the popular elected president Fernando Collor de Mello after a series of scandals involving public funds.

Related Topics:
1992 - Impeachment - Fernando Collor de Mello

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