Lula Faces Biden Parallels as Surgery Raises Questions Over Age
BloombergDEC 2024
Brazil's Lula 'Well' in Intensive Care After Emergency Brain Surgery
Above: Doctors deliver a press conference at Sírio-Libanês Hospital in São Paulo, where Brazil's Pres. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is hospitalized on Dec. 10, 2024. Image copyright: Nelson Almeida/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Lula has demonstrated remarkable resilience throughout his life, not only to deal with challenges in politics but also to bounce back from health problems. On top of losing a finger while working in a car parts factory, he had a hypertension scare at the end of his second term, survived larynx cancer, and received a hip replacement. This brain bleed is another issue that he will overcome.
Narrative B
Whether you like Lula or not, his old age and successive health issues are obviously a matter of concern. Posting videos of himself working out does little to appease that — especially as domestic problems mount during his administration and as he fails to attend summits abroad. It's about time for him to realize that Brazil needs a leader who is able to solve problems — if not now, at least in the next presidential term.