Guide Note:Former metalworker Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva rose from poverty to become a major labor leader, and in 2002 was elected President of Brazil - the world's sixth most populous country. Re-elected in 2006, his policies have helped reduce Brazil's wide economic gap between rich & poor.
Fast Facts:
- Born:1945
- Spouse: Marisa Leticia
- Political Party: Workers' Party
- Trained as a mechanic & lathe operator
- Started Zero Hunger program to bring nutrition, jobs, & social inclusion to millions of Brazilian families
- Started Bolsa Familia program, which pays impoverished families for their children's school attendance