The Health of a Likely Presidential Candidate Comes Under Brazil’s Microscope

By: Micah Bacheller

She is known as the "Iron Lady" and has helped President Lula really gain the favor of the masses in his second term. Her name is Dilma Yousseff, and she is expected to be the successor of Lula at the end of his second term. Presently she is Lula's chief of staff, but aspires to much more. There are a couple of problems with Ms.Yousseff rise to power. She currently has cancer, and is constantly at the hospital for her treatment. She is gaining popularity, and Lula has pushed her into that position as his own successor. Since she does have the blessing hand of Lula, people think she will be elected in 2010. The problem is that when the first election after the military dictatorship happened in 1985, the then voter winner president Tancredo Neves died before being sworn into office. The Brazilian people are afraid that might happen again.

Another problem is that there are speculations that Lula might try and alter the constitution so that he could run for another term. This would start pushing Brazil to an authoritarian regime, and that would not go well with the USA. On the other hand, with Lula pushing Yousseff to the front, it reminded me of what happened in Russia with Putin and Mediedved. Although it is hard to say if Lula will seek to stay in power somehow or not, because their is no position such as a prime minister in Brazil.