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Brazil is seen as an economic success story and
its people revere President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva like a star. He
is on a mission to turn the country into one of the world's five
biggest economies through reforms, giant infrastructure projects and by
tapping vast oil reserves. But he faces hurdles.
Elizete Piaui has been waiting patiently for hours in the shade of a
mango tree. She is wearing plastic sandals and baggy shorts over her
thin legs. At 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), the air is
shimmering on this unusually hot day in Barra, a small city in the
Sertao, the heart of northeastern Brazil. But Piaui isn't complaining,
because today is her big day, the day she meets the president, who is
working to provide her hut with running water.
The rattle of a helicopter signals his arrival. The white aircraft
circles once over the crowd before landing. A motorcycle escort
accompanies the Brazilian president to the ceremony.
Lula gets out of the limousine wearing a white linen shirt and a
green military hat. Ignoring the local dignitaries in their dark suits,
Lula heads straight for the crowd behind a security barrier. "Lula,
Papai! (Papa Lula!)" Elizete calls out. He pulls her to his chest and
shakes the hands of others in the crowd, allowing them to touch, stroke
and embrace him. Beads of sweat are running down his flushed face, and
people are tugging at his shirt, but Lula soaks in the attention. He
feels at home here, in one of Brazil's poorest regions.
The president spends three days traveling through the Sertao. He knows
the route. He came to the region 15 years ago for the first time on a
campaign tour, traveling by bus and staying in inexpensive guesthouses.
He made stops in every village square, seven or eight times a day, and
usually held his speeches from the back of a truck. His voice was
usually hoarse and weak by the evening, and he had to change his
sweat-soaked shirt up to 10 times a day.
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