Former "leftist guerilla" becomes Brazil's first female president; Banksters are concerned

[marmar]

By JOHN LYONS And PAULO PRADA
Wall Street Journal


SÃO PAULO, Brazil—Dilma Rousseff, a 62-year-old former leftist guerilla-turned-powerful cabinet minister, was elected Brazil's first female president in a victory sealed by economic prosperity and the broad popularity of her predecessor and mentor, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

With 96% of the votes counted, Ms. Rousseff won 55.7% of the votes, compared with 44.3% for rival, José Serra, a former São Paulo governor, in a two-candidate runoff election. In early October, Ms. Rousseff won a multi-candidate first-round contest but failed to garner the 50% of votes needed to avoid a second round.

Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva greeted supporters after voting Sunday in Sao Bernardo do Campo in Sao Paulo state, in the runoff election that will determine his successor.

The election elevates a relatively unknown bureaucrat to the helm of Latin America's biggest country, as it carves out a bigger role in the global economy. Brazil became the world's eighth-biggest economy in recent years, giving it enough clout to help push the U.S. and Europe to include emerging nations in talks on the global financial crisis. Brazil hosts soccer's World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016. ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704477904575586711722844440.html

[Odin2005]

1. WOOT!