Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva married Wednesday evening May 18 Rosangela da Silva, a sociologist 21 years younger than him, called to become First Lady if he wins the October election. Lula, 76, posted a photo on Instagram in which he appears to be exchanging vows as he slips the wedding ring on the bride’s finger at a party hall in Sao Paulo’s residential neighborhood of Brooklin.
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This event, closed to the press, brought together some 200 guests, including politicians and artists, informed only the day before of the place of the ceremony. All were instructed to leave their cell phones in the locker room, according to Brazilian media. Former President Dilma Rousseff, ex-Governor of Sao Paulo and Lula’s running mate Geraldo Alckmin, and singer Gilberto Gil were seen arriving at the party, which kicked off at 7:00 p.m. (22:00 GMT ).
This is the third marriage of Lula, 76, twice widowed. The icon of the Brazilian left said « yes » to « Janja », 55, a committed feminist and long-time militant of the Workers’ Party (PT, left). Lula wore a blue suit and Rosangela a cream-colored dress by Brazilian designer Helo Rocha, embroidered with stars, moons, cacti and other plants from Nordeste, Lula’s electoral stronghold.
“Typical Brazilian flavors”
According to CNN Brasil, the menu is made up of « typical Brazilian flavors », including « bobo de camarao », a dish of palm oil shrimp. The party is expected to last until 2 or 3 a.m., with a DJ and live bands. Many rumors circulated on social media about the cost of the wedding and the wines that would be served there. Supporters of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro have been unleashed on the lifestyle of Lula, often presented as a little father of the poor. According to the CNN Brasil channel, the menu consists of “typical Brazilian flavors”with in particular “bobo de camarao”, palm oil shrimp dish. The party is expected to last until 2 or 3 a.m., with a DJ and live bands.
« Janja », as her relatives call her, has been a member since 1983 of the PT co-founded by Lula, to which the polls promise a victory in October against President Jair Bolsonaro. A graduate in sociology, she worked for nearly 20 years in the public energy company Itaipu Binacional, which manages the huge Itaipu dam. According to the Brazilian press, Lula and « Janja » have known each other for decades. But the former president’s press service assures us that their romantic relationship only began at the end of 2017. It was only made public in May 2019, when Lula was imprisoned for corruption.
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Rosangela da Silva had taken part in a camp of activists who stayed for 18 months opposite the prison and visited the former trade unionist on several occasions, until his release in November 2019. As the presidential election approaches , this smiling woman with brown hair has multiplied public appearances alongside Lula, notably on April 7, when the latter launched his campaign to run for a third term, after having presided over Brazil from 2003 to 2010.
Born in Pernambuco, in the Brazilian northeast, Lula has been married twice before. His first wife, whom he married in 1969, died of hepatitis two years later. The second, Marisa Leticia, with whom he had four children, was his unwavering support for decades before dying of a stroke in 2017.
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