To scenes of wild rejoicing on the streets, the people of Brazil celebrated the landslide
victory of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the president of the Workers’ Party (PT). This
was undoubtedly a heavy blow struck by the masses against the corrupt and degenerate
oligarchy that has ruled Brazil for decades. It has caused shock waves that will
reverberate throughout the whole of Latin America and beyond. Now however a period opens
up in which the PT government will come under enormous pressure from two sides, the
bourgeoisie and the workers and poor. Alan Woods outlines the tasks facing the Brazilian
working class.