DILI, 28 December 2022 (TATOLI) – The President of the Republic, José Ramos Horta, and his delegation, left today for Brazil to attend the inauguration ceremony of the newly elected President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won the second round of Brazil’s presidential election on october 9, 2022, beating Jair Bolsonaro of the far-right after a tense campaign run.
Lula won the presidential election with 50.9% or 60,345,421 votes, while Bolsonaro received 49.1% or 57,976,538 votes.
Lula will be sworn in as Brazil’s 39th president on january 1, 2023, after serving as the nation’s 35th president from 2003 to 2010.
Lula was a former union leader, who had been a candidate during the 2018 presidential election.
Horta said Brazil is one of the most important countries for Timor-Leste, saying, therefore, he has to attend the inauguration ceremony.
“The inauguration of the newly elected President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, will take place on january 1. It is a long journey. Unfortunately, I was unable to spend my Christmas holidays in Timor-Leste as I have to attend the inauguration ceremony,” Horta said.
He said that with Lula re-elected as President, he wants to deepen Timor-Leste’s relationship with Brazil in the areas of science, agriculture, and education.
“On january 2, I will have a bilateral meeting with President Lula. I will return to Timor-Leste on january 3,” Horta said.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
