Who is “Janja”, the sociologist who captured Lula da Silva’s heart and brought her to the altar

Former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said he fell in love with her “as if he were 20 years old”: Rosangela da Silva, whom he married on Wednesday, is a sociologist and leftist militant who retaliates against his public affection and is especially present in its pre-campaign for the presidential elections in October.

Born in São Paulo 55 years ago, “Janja”, as her friends call her, has defined herself as a true “PT with a card”, affiliated since 1983 with the Workers ’Party ( PT), founded by Lula.

The potential first lady after the October election studied Sociology at the Federal University of Paraná and worked for nearly twenty years for the Itaipú Binacional energy company in Curitiba (southern Brazil).

Although the Brazilian press insists the two will meet “within decades”, Lula’s adviser assured that They started their relationship at the end of 2017, at an event that brought together leftist activists and artists, including Chico Buarque.

love from prison

But the romance of this woman with brown hair and smiling expression and the icon of the left, who is older than 21, was kept secret until May 2019, when Lula was jailed for more than a year after being convicted of corruption in the Lava case . Jato, according to Lula’s biography Fernando Morais.

Three years later finally get married in São Paulo at a ceremony expected by about 200 people, whose details have been kept secret until now.

“Lula is in love and her first project when she gets out of jail is to get married,” revealed one of her relatives after visiting her in jail.

After learning about courtship, “Janja” often visited her and posted love messages on her Twitter account (@JanjaLula): “I’m looking for words on the keyboard to describe these 500 days (that you’re incarcerated) “It’s hard! Your absence physics is too painful,” he once wrote.

“Now I just want to hug you to fill you with endless love. Congratulations, my love, I love you forever,” he said on his birthday.

The wait ended in November 2019, when a change in jurisprudence on serving sentences allowed the former president to be released.

Along with relatives and PT leaders, Rosangela waited for him at the exit of the prison in Curitiba (south) and they kissed in front of the people around them.

“I want to introduce you to someone I’ve already mentioned, but not everyone knows: my future partner,” Lula said, excited.

At the bell

Little known until then in the political environment, “Janja” is gaining more and more space on the agenda of today’s presidential candidate and chief rival of President Jair Bolsonaro, who will seek his re -election.

Because Lula overturned his sentences and was enabled to fight in the election, he accompanied him on some of his commitments, including his trips to Europe and Mexico.

As a “wedding gift”, ordered the re -release of Lula’s famous electoral jingle in 1989which was re -recorded by various artists for the current campaign and he presented at the launch of his candidacy this month in São Paulo.

and indicated that may have an active role as first ladyworking on food security projects.

political and feminist

Although she is often featured on social networks campaigning for Lula, Rosangela remains cautious about her personal life. According to the magazine Lookmore than a decade married and childless.

She is a “very politicized person, she has a good political head and she is very feminist,” Lula revealed in September in an interview with rapper Mano Brown.

East this is Lula’s third wedding. The former president was married for the first time in 1969, with Maria de Lourdes da Silva, who died two years later from hepatitis, and in 1974 to Marisa Leticia, with whom he had four children, who died in 2017 because in stroke.

“When you lose your husband and you think life has no meaning, that it’s all over, someone appears to be starting to make sense again,” Lula told the magazine this year. Time.

“I am in love as if I was 20 years old, as if it was my first girlfriend. I am going to get married in the most peaceful way possible and campaign happily.”

Source: AFP

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