Brazil's war on poverty, a violation of Human Rights

by Maria Josefina Arce

On December 10, the International Day of Human Rights, the world faces too many debts, including more than 700 million people living in poverty, a scourge that the United Nations has described as a complete attack on the prerogatives of citizens.

The international organization has pointed out that this social phenomenon undermines rights such as access to health, education, food, drinking water and decent housing.

When Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva succeeded the ultra-right Jair Bolsonaro as president of Brazil, he found that 30% of Brazilians lived in poverty, a situation that attacks human dignity.

The social issue was therefore one of Lula da Silva's main challenges and concerns, given the neoliberal policies promoted by Bolsonaro and the suspension or reduction of social programs.

The new government has developed a strategy to reduce the poverty rate and move towards its elimination. In fact, there have already been significant successes.

According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, the number of people living in poverty in the South American giant has been reduced to its lowest level since 2012.

In a report, the institution stated that nearly 9 million Brazilians left the poverty line, which translates into a decrease of 4.2 percentage points in 2023, the year Lula returned to the Planalto Palace for the third time.

A key role in this significant result was played by the renewed implementation of policies aimed at the most vulnerable.

The government also raised the minimum wage above the rate of inflation and created more jobs, improving the living conditions of many citizens.

Under Lula da Silva's leadership, the South American giant has renewed its commitment to working for the well-being of all Brazilians and leaving poverty behind.