Lula grapples with falling approval ratings amid economic woes

Brazilian President Lula da Silva faces plummeting popularity, economic challenges, and political opposition as he navigates his presidency.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, 79, has been on a whirlwind campaign of interviews and public appearances in recent weeks to shore up dwindling support, but the numbers keep getting worse.

The latest survey from Datafolha puts his popularity rating at 24% — the lowest in the three terms the charismatic former metalworker has served as Brazilian President.

Mr. Lula has promised that 2025 will be the “year of the harvest” of his electoral promises, after spending the first two years “fixing” destruction he said was left behind by his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro.

One of these promises was that under his rule, Brazilians would be back to “eating picanha,” a popular cut of beef that had gotten out of reach for many.

However, inflation has kept food prices stubbornly high — with one meme saying that instead of picanha, Lula had delivered “intermittent fasting.”

In January, food prices increased 7.25% year-on-year.

Mr. Lula’s recent suggestion that the population could control food prices by refusing to buy goods they felt were too costly was met with ridicule from the Opposition and only irritated Brazilians further.