First measures Right after taking office on 1 January 2023, Lula and his ministers took several measures to revert Bolsonaro policies and/or create policies announced during the election campaign and the transition of power. This processs, known as "" (de-'Bolsonarization') or '''' (mass repeal of decrees) by some ministers and party members included a series of federal decrees revoking the previous government's measures involving weapons, environment policies and top officials' data secrecy. Some of the decrees included temporarily suspending new authorizations for shooting clubs, On the same week, Environment and Climate Change Minister
Marina Silva claimed that another "revogaço" was yet to come. Mostly related to the '
(debt ceiling) fiscal policy, which was seen as impractical by government officials. This policy was later replaced with another debt limit law following its approval in the Federal Congress. On 2 January 2023, more "'" happened, measures included stopping the privatization process of some eight state-owned companies (such as the
Correios and
Petrobras) and dismissing almost a thousand appointees in federal posts linked in some way to the Bolsonaro government.
Economy Among the measures on the first day of government, Lula signed a provisional measure extending the fuel tax exemption instituted by Bolsonaro in 2022. Bolsonaro's tax exemption was considered "demagogic" by minister Fernando Haddad and "electoral fraud" with "electoral bias" according to an analysis by several economists, as he did so with the intention of seeking re-election, but without facing "the real problem of fuel prices in the country, which is Petrobras' pricing policy". Federal taxes remained zero for gasoline and ethanol until the end of February, while the exemption for natural gas, diesel and biodiesel was extended until the end of the year; the extension, with an estimated impact of 25 billion reais, was seen as a defeat for Haddad and a victory for the president of the Workers' Party,
Gleisi Hoffmann, concerned about the political impact that raising prices on the first day of government would cause. At the end of February, the gradual re-encumbrance of gasoline and diesel was announced, as well as the taxation of crude oil exports for 4 months. Lula has been criticizing the president of the
Central Bank of Brazil,
Roberto Campos Neto, for maintaining the basic
interest rate at 13.75% per year, and has even considered ending the institution's autonomy in the future. The presidents of the Senate and the Chamber ruled out this possibility. According to some analysts, these attacks by Lula on the president of the BC are "shooting himself in the foot", as they would increase the inflation expectations of economic agents, resulting in more inflation in practice, in addition to increasing future interest rates, having the opposite of the intended effect. Campos Neto, seeking to relax the relationship with Planalto, gave an interview in February to the programme
Roda Viva, on the
TV Cultura, in which he adopted a calming tone, avoiding confrontation with the government. In a survey carried out with financial market agents in March 2023, 94% reported not trusting Lula, while 68% said they trusted Campos Neto. In March, The
Ministry of Social Security, through the National Social Security Council, determined the reduction of the maximum monthly interest rate on loans allocated to benefits paid by the
National Social Security Institute, from 2.14% to 1.70% per month. The measure, which was not approved by the Treasury or the Civil House, caused almost all financial institutions to stop offering this line of credit, as they now considered it economically unviable. Haddad announced, in March 2023, that an agreement was signed with the states and the Federal District to compensate for the loss of revenue resulting from the modifications made in 2022 of the criteria for charging ICMS on fuels, electricity, communications and transport; 26.9 billion Reals will be transferred until 2026, through the reduction of debts owed by federal entities to the Union. In November 2023, supported by a decision from the Supreme Federal Court, the government announced that it will pay off, through extraordinary credit (which is not included in the spending ceiling) the stock of court orders left by the Jair Bolsonaro government, estimated at between 90 and 95 billion reais. According to the magazine
Veja, Brazil recorded 2,273 corporate
judicial recovery requests in 2024, the highest number in the historical series.
Record GDP growth At the end of 2023, Brazil once again became one of the ten largest economies in the world, according to the
IMF, the country had dropped out of the
ranking between 2019 and 2022, when it fell to 13th place. Also at the end of 2023, the Brazilian
trade balance marked the largest
surplus in its history, with 98 billion dollars, a significant jump in relation to the 2022
surplus, of 61 billion dollars, which was the previous record. This increase was sustained by the 1.7% increase in exports and the 11.7% drop in imports, resulting from the 8.8% decline in the price of imported items, such as fertilizers, whose price decreased by 44.9% in comparison with 2022. The
current account showed a deficit of 28 billion dollars in 2023 and direct investment in the country totaled 62 billion dollars. Released on 1 March 2024, Brazil's GDP grew 2.9% in the first year of the Lula government. The increase was driven especially by the super harvest in the agricultural sector, the recovery of the services sector and the job market, the maintenance of social spending, and the expansion of fiscal space opened by the New Fiscal Framework; growth surpassed the first year of the Bolsonaro, Temer, Dilma 2, Lula 1 and FHC 2 governments, being lower only than the first year of the Dilma 1, Lula 2 and FHC 1 governments.
Unemployment decline During Lula's third term, Brazil recorded a series of historic reductions in unemployment according to data from the
Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). In 2024 the country achieved an average annual unemployment rate of 6.6%, the lowest in the historical series at that time. In early 2025, the downward trend continued, reaching 6.2% in the quarter ending in May and later 5.8% in the quarter ending in June. By the quarter ending in September 2025, unemployment reached 5.6%, consolidating the best labor market result in more than a decade.
Tax Reform For the first time since the redemocratization in Brazil (over 30 years ago), a tax reform was approved in congress; among its main points is the exemption from taxes for basic food products, as well as the creation of the VAT (Value Added Tax) and the "selective tax", (or "sin tax", a tax on items considered harmful to public health and the environment). Medicine, vegetables, medical devices, among other goods, will also be exempt from VAT charges, while other products such as speedboats, jets and yachts will become susceptible to IPVA charges. The reform also creates progressive taxation on inheritances, which received mild criticism from some sectors of the society. The National Congress enacted the reform on 20 December 2023, in a solemn session attended by the three heads of the republic's powers (executive, legislative and judiciary), as well as ministers Fernando Haddad, from the finance ministry, and Simone Tebet, from the planning ministry; Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco described the promulgation of the reform as "not only a historic milestone, but also a turning point" and claimed that this would "change Brazil's trajectory". After the approval of the reform, the risk rating agency S&P Global Ratings raised Brazil's credit rating and highlighted "better prospects for economic growth".
'''' In July 2023, the
Ministry of Finance launched the first phase of the "Emergency Debt Renegotiation Programme for Indebted Individuals" (popularly known as the '''' programme), a debt renegotiation programme which was divided into two phases. In October of the same year, the second phase, in which non-bank debts were renegotiated, was launched. '''' is made up of four "participants" (the federal government, debtors, creditors (such as financial institutions, public utility services, retail companies, service providers in general, including individual microentrepreneurs and small businesses), and financial agents, such as banks) and has the stated objective of reducing debt among the population (especially the low income and middle classes), as well as facilitating access to credit by the general population.
New fiscal control framework Due to the provision included in the Transition constitutional amendment proposal, the government needed to submit to the National Congress a new fiscal framework to replace the spending ceiling, the government soon presented the proposal to the congress, which was accepted on 22 August. With the new law coming into effect, it established a floor and ceiling for the real growth of tax expenditures of 0.6% and 2.5% respectively; investments now also have a minimum correction floor at the level of inflation; furthermore, growth in fiscal spending is limited to 70% of the growth in government revenues of the previous year; the new framework also determines the application of gradual spending containment triggers in the case where the government is systematically unable to meet fiscal targets. With approval, the government said it hoped to be able to eliminate the primary deficit in 2024 and obtain surpluses of 0.5% and 1% of GDP in 2025 and 2026, respectively; the expectations were seen with skepticism not only by the market, but also by members of the government itself and parliamentarians. Lula himself later stated that the 2024 target is unlikely to be achieved, defending the expansion of spending on public works, even at the expense the increase in debt.
Social policies Minimum wage and income tax reforms On 16 February, Lula increased the value of the minimum wage from 1,302 reals to 1,320 reals, correcting it above inflation. In December, there was another increase on the minimum wage, going from 1,320 to 1,412 reals, the increase became effective on 1 January 2024. According to Lula, these actions are the result of a new "minimum wage valorization" project idealized by him, which will adjust the minimum wage over inflation every year, as a way to keep up with the price changes for basic products. In early 2023, there was also an increase in the exemption from
Income tax to 2,640 reals, compared to the previous amount of 1,900 reals. In February 2024, continuing the increase in income tax exemption, Lula issued a provisional measure that exempts those who receive up to 2,824 reais from payment (equivalent to two minimum wages per month).
'''' The '
programme had been replaced by the previous government with the '. However, due to criticism of the latter, '
was reimplemented by the Lula government, replacing Auxílio Brasil. The amount of R$600 reserved for the year 2022 in Auxílio Brasil was guaranteed by ', which would maintain it indefinitely, increasing its value to R$670; the new Bolsa Família started to be paid from March 2023. In July 2023, the federal government announced that more than 43.5 million people had left the poverty line in June, largely attributing the achievement to the reopening and reformulation of '''', which now had the average payment of R$705,40 per family, the highest average in its history. Throughout 2023, the '
('), the information base used to define families eligible for '
, was revised and 1.7 million single-person families were excluded, according to the government, some members of families benefiting from ' had separated themselves and formed, nominally, an independent family, in order to receive individual payment of the benefit, taking advantage of the declaratory feature of the registration.
Public housing , Bahia On 14 February, Lula, alongside the Governor of Bahia
Jerônimo Rodrigues, the Chief of Staff of the Presidency
Rui Costa, the President of the Caixa Econômica Federal Maria Rita Serrano, the transport minister
Renan Filho, the Minister of Cities
Jader Filho, as well as state and municipal authorities (such as the mayor of the city and federal/state deputies from Bahia), announced the return of the '''' programme during a visit to the city of Santo Amaro, Bahia; the programme will replace the Bolsonaro government's '''' programme (which in turn had replaced Lula's first '''', created during his previous presidency), the programme is expected to create over 2 million houses for the low-income population by the end of 2026 (the last year of Lula's presidency). The programme was also restructured, with the proposal to serve families with a monthly income of up to R$8,000 in urban areas, and an annual income of up to R$96,000 in rural areas. In order to reduce the housing deficit, in September 2023, an ordinance was published that exempted beneficiaries of '''' and the
Continuous Installment Benefit from paying installments on properties purchased under the programme.
Fight against hunger During his first two governments, Lula prioritized the fight against hunger, as well as extreme poverty and social exclusion as part of his projects, he created several projects such as
Fome Zero, which granted him several prizes, such as the
World Food Prize by the World Food Prize Foundation in 2011, in recognition of his efforts to combat hunger. In 2014, under Dilma's presidency, Brazil left the
ONU Hunger Map, but returned to it in the following years due to the 2014/2020 economic crises and subsequent mass unemployment and bankruptcy, as well as the lack of public policies aimed at the area during the following governments, according to analysts. On 28 February 2023, Lula reinstalled the National Council for Food and Nutritional Security (Consea), deactivated by Bolsonaro in 2019. On 22 March, Lula relaunched the Programme of Food Acquisition (PAA), whose objective is to guarantee food and nutritional security and encourage the production of food from
family farms.
Gás do Povo In November 2025, the
Gás do Povo program began, replacing Auxílio Gás. The program guarantees the free refill of the LPG cylinder (13 kg) at retailers accredited by the government. The measure aims to promote access to LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas), avoiding the use of precarious alternatives such as firewood, charcoal, and kerosene, which can expose families to toxic smoke, chronic respiratory diseases, and the constant danger of burns. The benefit is intended for families registered in the
Cadastro Único (CadÚnico), with an income of up to half the minimum wage, with priority given to those who receive
Bolsa Família.
Caixa Econômica Federal is responsible for the operationalization of the benefit, being in charge of distributing the refill vouchers, registering participating retailers, and validating the beneficiaries' means of access. — the government instructed the
Itamaraty to once again require
visas for entry into Brazil by citizens of
Australia,
Canada, the
United States, and
Japan, just as these countries already do when it comes to Brazilian citizens. The decision was taken after consultations with the governments of these four countries regarding the possibility of also exempting Brazilians from visas, in accordance with the principle of reciprocity; a principle that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had already defended since 2017, when it opposed a proposal by the
Ministry of Tourism to permanently remove the visa requirement for these countries. The Itamaraty's decision had also taken into account a decree issued by then president
Donald Trump in January 2017, intended to complicate the granting of visas to citizens of several countries, among which Brazil was included. Although the National Confederation of Tourism (Cntur) "did not view it favorably", Wilson Luis Pinto, executive president of the entity, stated that he believed the government took a calculated measure and that the country would not cease to be an option for foreign travelers. "Whoever decided they want to come here will come." Luis Pinto also expressed support for the proposal: "I, as a Brazilian, do not think it is fair to spend months in line and pay a fee to obtain a visa, while an American can buy a ticket and come to Brazil". The government assessed that the resumption of visas would have a low impact on tourism and, according to the
Polícia Federal, although in 2019 there were some peaks in the entry of people from North America into Brazil after the visa exemption, this number did not show much increase compared to the period before the measure. On the other hand, the number of Japanese tourists declined after the exemption took effect. In addition, citizens of these countries will be allowed to use the electronic visa, which had been in effect before the unilateral exemption. In 2024, Brazil reached a historic record in the entry of foreign tourists, with more than 6.6 million international travelers in the country. In 2025, the
Brazilian passport ranked 16th among the 20 most powerful in the world according to the American consultancy Henley & Partners, while the international
Passport Index ranking placed it 11th. Between January and September 2025, Brazil reached a historic record of 7 million tourists for the first time. According to
Marcelo Freixo, president of
Embratur, the record is the result of the government's effort to "rebuild Brazil's image in the world as a destination of diversity and sustainability".
Civil servants The government increased by 9%, starting in May 2023, the remuneration of civil servants and civilian public employees of the Federal Executive Branch, with an estimated annual cost of about 14 billion reais, and increased by 200 reais the meal allowance paid to active servants and employees. Civil servants of the other branches received an increase at a higher rate (18%), staggered in three installments until 2025. The salary cap of the public service became 41,650 reais starting in April 2023, and will be 44,008 reais in February 2024 and 46,366 reais in February 2025. The federal government also created 665 new commissioned positions, with remuneration of up to 14,849 reais, and 1,578 commissioned functions, with compensation of up to 8,909 reais. Commissioned positions do not need to be occupied by career civil servants, unlike commissioned functions, which can only be occupied by those who are already public servants and which add the value of the function's compensation to the remuneration. The
Concurso Público Nacional Unificado (CPNU), also called the Concurso Nacional Unificado (CNU), is an initiative of the
Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services (MGI) of the
Federal government of Brazil to centralize and streamline the process of hiring new federal
civil servants.
Education and research On 2 January, Lula revoked a bill made during the Bolsonaro government, which created schools exclusively for
persons with disabilities, with the revocation of this law, these students are now able to study in the same schools as other students, while keeping the need for special treatment in some severe cases. Another measure taken by the government was the increase in the amount for research grants, Lula later stated that "this government is forbidden to treat [as] wasted money what goes to education, money that goes to scholarships, money that goes to healthcare and research". On 10 March, Lula announced a readjustment in the values of the
school meals of public schools, after having been frozen for more than five years. The increase is 39% and the value is 5.5 billion per year. and it would later be reinstated in August by Minister of Education Camilo Santana, although with some changes. Also in April, Lula announced that the government would invest over 6 billion in a project to restart the construction of several works in the education area, such as public schools. On July, the Ministry of Education announced that the federal programme for creation of civic-military schools would be stopped, and that each state would have the option to keep or extinguish the programme. On the same month, Lula also signed in the Education Ministry's "full-time school program" after modifications to the original project, which dealt with increasing government investments in these schools, as well as reforming many part-time ones to also allow for the offering of these options, were approved by the Chamber of Deputies. On 6 November 2023, education minister Camilo Santana announced that people with
FIES debts could now renegotiate them with the federal government, the attitude is similar to the '''' programme, also created during the Lula government in an effort to reduce indebtedness among the people, especially those of lower classes. The government announced on 12 March 2024 the construction of 100 new Federal Institutes of Education, Science and Technology in all federative units in Brazil by 2026. The ministry of education announced that it would be Investing ~R$3.9 billion in the construction of these units, with the funds being made possible through the New PAC. The government estimates the creation of 140 thousand new enrollments, the majority in technical courses integrated into
secondary education (high school). The region that will receive the most Institutes will be the Northeast, with 38 new units planned, while the State that will receive the largest number of Institutes will be São Paulo, with 12 new units.
'''' On 16 January 2024, Lula sanctioned the '
programme, which provides the payment of a monthly financial incentive to high school students, encouraging them to continue studying until completing basic education. The programme aims to contain school evasion or dropouts, which had doubled during the pandemic, and will target students from low-income families registered in ', with a per capita family income of up to 218 reais per month. Coming into effect on 26 January 2024, the value of the programme was R$2,000 annually, R$200 upon registration, plus 9 payments of R$200 per school month. In December 2024, the
Brazilian Federal Court of Accounts asked for the programme to be blocked after an audit found that the programme was not financially viable.
More Teachers In January 2025, the "
More Teachers" program was launched with the aim of increasing the presence of teachers in regions farther from the country’s main urban centers. The program provides monthly scholarships of 2,100 reais to teachers with specific training who work in regions with a greater shortage of professionals, such as in the areas of physics, mathematics and biology. The program includes integrated actions to strengthen teacher training, encourage entry into public teaching, and enhance the professional recognition of educators. A
National Teacher Examination will be implemented to assist states, the Federal District and municipalities in recruitment and hiring processes for teaching positions, and the
Pé-de-Meia Licensure Scholarship will aim to promote entry into, retention in and completion of teacher training courses.
National Strategy for Connected Schools In September 2023, the government launched the National Strategy for Connected Schools (ENEC). The program is structured around four main connectivity pillars: deployment of high-speed internet access infrastructure; provision of adequate internet connectivity; installation of
Wi-Fi networks in schools; and supply of electrical power. ENEC will receive investments of 8.8 billion reais, of which 6.5 billion reais come from the “Digital Inclusion and Connectivity” axis of the
New PAC. Funding comes from four sources: the 5G auction, the
Universal Service Fund for Telecommunications (Fust), the Connected Education Innovation Program (PIEC) and Law No. 14,172 of 2021.
Science and technology The National Science and Technology Council (CCT) and the National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development were also restructured, with the
Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Luciana Santos saying that the government would increase investments in that area. On 16 February, Lula announced yet another readjustment in the value of scholarships during an event in the Planalto Palace. and stated that "in this government it is forbidden to treat money that goes to education, scholarships, or healthcare as an expense." He later restructured the
National Council for Science and Technology (CCT) and restored the
National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development (FNDCT). The
minister of science, technology and innovation,
Luciana Santos, stated that investment in the area is a priority for the government.
TV 3.0 On 27 August 2025, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed Decree No. 12,595/2025, establishing the DTV+ system (also called TV 3.0) as the new standard for
Brazilian free-to-air television, based on
ATSC 3.0. The standard covers physical, transport, video, audio, subtitles and emergency alert layers. The preparatory phase is expected to be completed in 2025, with the first TV 3.0 transmissions beginning in the first half of 2026 in major capitals. The expansion process to reach coverage across the entire national territory is estimated to take up to 15 years. The system also incorporates internet integration, greater interactivity, accessibility and public services via the television platform. The signing of the decree followed years of studies, research, discussions and debates led by the MCom, involving companies in the sector, academics and specialists. Following the regulation, Brazilian broadcasters may begin implementing the new system. According to the
minister of communications,
Frederico Siqueira, the signing of the decree marked a historic moment for Brazil, strengthening free-to-air television as a democratic and popular meeting space. He highlighted that TV 3.0 will not change a central principle: free access. The new technology will modernize Brazilian digital television, offering 4K and 8K images, immersive sound, greater interactivity and integration with the internet. The goal is to provide a richer and more personalized experience for viewers, bringing free-to-air television closer to
streaming services. On 20 January, Lula signed a bill, classifying community and disease control agents as health professionals. Also on 20 January, under pressure from religious entities, Lula created the "Department of Support for Therapeutic Communities", aimed at treating drug addicts; after the measure was criticized by human rights organizations, the
Ministry of Social Development and Fight against Hunger announced that it would review the decision. The Brazilian Association of Mental Health had also spoken out against the measure in a repudiation note. On 8 March, International Women's Day, Lula announced the creation of the "Programme for the Protection and Promotion of Menstrual Dignity", which provides distribution of menstrual pads by the
Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) to people in vulnerable situations, below the
Poverty threshold. The document regulates the Law nº 14.214/2021, which had been vetoed by Jair Bolsonaro in 2021. On 20 March, Lula and health minister,
Nísia Trindade, announced the re-creation of the '''' programme, first created in 2013 with the purpose of expanding the number of health professionals in less economically developed areas and in the interior of the country. The programme had been partially replaced by Bolsonaro's "Doctors for Brazil"; the "Mais Médicos para o Brasil", as it is now called, should prioritize Brazilian professionals and, according to
Paulo Pimenta, chief minister of the Secretary of Social Communication, increase the number of health professionals and improve the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS).
Dengue vaccine In December 2023, Nine months after Anvisa's approval, which took place in March 2023, the Health Ministry purchased and incorporated a
dengue vaccine into Brazil's public healthcare system (SUS), becoming the first country in the world to do so. Nine months after approval by Anvisa in March 2023, the Ministry of Health announced, in December of that year, that Brazil would include in the national immunization program, starting in 2024, the dengue vaccine developed by the pharmaceutical company Takeda. Vaccinations through the National Immunization Programme began in 2024. However, the quantity of doses initially made available by the SUS was small, being intended only for children and adolescents between 10 and 14 years of age living in about 10% of the country's municipalities. The vaccine could be administered by the private network from the time of Anvisa's approval.
Public security The Federal Government presented a proposed constitutional amendment (PEC) aimed at modernizing and integrating public security in the country. The initiative, led by the
ministry of justice and public security,
Ricardo Lewandowski, seeks to strengthen the fight against
organized crime and improve cooperation among the Union, states and municipalities. Among the main points are the creation of a
Unified Public Security System (SUSP) with constitutional status, the expansion of the responsibilities of the Federal Police and the
Federal Highway Police – which would be renamed the Federal Ostensive Police – and the consolidation of permanent financial instruments, such as the National Public Security and Penitentiary Policy Fund, guaranteeing stable resources for the sector. The government argues that the proposal does not remove the autonomy of the states, but seeks to promote greater coordination and efficiency in police action, especially in the face of the advance of criminal factions operating beyond state borders. Even so, the text faces resistance from sectors of the right and the opposition. Despite the criticism, the Ministry of Justice states that the proposal was built in dialogue with governors and specialists, and that it represents an effort to make the fight against crime more integrated, technological and effective throughout the national territory. In a meeting with the
Minister of Mines and Energy,
Alexandre Silveira, Lula showed support for the use of electricity derived from renewable sources, in particular for reducing the cost of the service, especially for the poor; goals were also discussed to place Brazil in a "leading global position in the generation of clean energy", in addition to encouraging more sustainable public transport.
Transport Aerial transport Despite normally being categorized as centre-left, the Lula government continued with the
privatization of elements of the Brazilian infrastructure, such as in May 2023, when it carried out the auction of the Natal International Airport through its Ministry of Ports and Airports, which resulted in the purchase of this airfield by the Swiss state-owned company
Flughafen Zürich AG (Zurich Airport Ltd.) By decision of the
Ministry of Ports and Airports, in August 2023, flights arriving and departing from Santos Dumont airport were restricted from 2024, which could only occur with origin or destination up to 400 kilometers away. it limited, in practice, flights from the airport between Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Belo Horizonte; the measure sought to divert part of the flights to the
Galeão International Airport, managed by the company RIOgaleão, controlled by the Changi Group, from
Singapore; however, the decision was revised in November, exchanging the distance restriction for a restriction on passenger volume, which will be limited to 6.5 million per year.
Rail transport The government intends to start a new wave of investment in the expansion of the Brazilian railway network, with the strategy being to increase investments in railway lines led by the ministry of transport; within the New PAC, the government intends to invest R$94.2 billion in 35 projects, R$55.1 billion by 2026 and more $39.1 billion in subsequent years, the majority of the investments will be through the private sector. The focus, this time, will be the passenger transport, the newspaper
Poder360 found that there are 7 most advanced passenger train projects, stretches averaging 100 km connecting municipalities and metropolitan regions, among these, the longest would be the one that connects Fortaleza with Sobral, in Ceará, a stretch of more than 200 km, the others would be in the states of Maranhão, Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul and the Federal District. Currently, there are only two regular passenger lines: between Vitória and Belo Horizonte, and between São Luís and Parauapebas (PA), both are also used to transport cargo; for the construction of these lines, the government sees it as essential to take advantage of the existing railway infrastructure, aimed at transporting cargo, but which is underutilized or in a precarious state of maintenance.
São Francisco River transposition and water infrastructure On 9 February 2022, water from the
São Francisco River transposition project reached
Jardim de Piranhas in the state of
Rio Grande do Norte, in the
Seridó region. However, the flow lasted only 15 days, as the transposition structures had not yet been completed. Only on 13 August 2025 did the waters of the São Francisco transposition reach Rio Grande do Norte without interruption, following the completion of the works. In the state, the water flows through the bed of the
Piranhas–Açu River toward the
Oiticica Dam in
Jucurutu and the
Armando Ribeiro Gonçalves Dam between the municipalities of
Açu,
Itajá and
São Rafael. In May 2025, a service order was signed to double the water pumping capacity across the entire Northern Axis at the pumping stations EBI1 in
Cabrobó (Pernambuco), EBI2 in
Terra Nova (Pernambuco), and EBI3 in
Salgueiro (Pernambuco). The flow is expected to increase from 24.75 m³/s to 49 m³/s, benefiting 237 municipalities and about 8.1 million people in the states of Ceará, Pernambuco, Paraíba and Rio Grande do Norte. The project is expected to cost 491.3 million reais and to be completed in 2027. The government has also supported works on the Apodi branch in
Rio Grande do Norte and the
Salgado branch in
Ceará, parts of the original PISF project, scheduled for completion in 2026 and 2027, as well as the Adutora da Fé in Bahia and the Canal do Sertão Baiano. In addition, state projects such as the
Cinturão das Águas do Ceará, the
Eixão das Águas (Ceará), the Seridó Norte water pipeline, the Agreste Potiguar water pipeline, the
Vertentes Litorâneas da Paraíba, the Agreste Pernambucano water pipeline and the Canal do Sertão Alagoano have received federal funding for their development.
New driver's license system The
National Traffic Council (Contran) approved a resolution in December 2025 ending the requirement that all theoretical and practical classes for obtaining a
Brazilian driver's license (CNH) in categories A (motorcycles) and B (cars) must be taken exclusively at driving schools (CFC). The government will provide a free digital theoretical course. Practical lessons may be conducted with accredited independent instructors, including using a personal vehicle, or at driving schools. The minimum duration of lessons has been reduced from 25 hours to 2 hours. Biometric registration, theoretical and practical examinations, and medical tests remain mandatory. The reduction in costs is estimated at around 70%. Beginning in January 2026, automatic and free license renewal was introduced for drivers considered to have a good record—those who have no points on their license in the previous 12 months, no recorded traffic infractions in that period, and who are registered in the National Positive Drivers Registry (RNPC). Drivers over the age of 70 are not eligible for automatic renewal, and drivers over 50 may renew automatically only once.
Growth Acceleration Programme On 11 August, Lula and ministers unveiled a new
Growth Acceleration Programme, according to the proposal, an estimated 1.7 trillion reais (worth around 350 billion USD at the time) will be spent over the following 4 years. Of this, 610 billion is expected to be spent on slum urbanisation programmes, including the development of housing, public transport, sanitation, energy and protection from natural disasters, this includes further investments on social infrastructure programmes such as '''',
Luz Para Todos and Água Para Todos, as well as creation and expansion of ports, airports, motorways and railways. 540 billion is expected to be spent on expanding the electric grid and petrochemical industries, with 80% of the newly developed electric production capacity being expected to come from renewable sources; 349 billion is expected to be spent on transportation infrastructure, including for motor vehicles, trains, marine vehicles, and aeroplanes. Lula also announced the construction of the "West-East Integration Railway (FIOL)" as the first project of the programme, which will connect the southwest of Bahia to the coast of southern Bahia. Other areas of investment include "digital inclusion and connectivity" (expansion of
4G and
5G networks and digital education), healthcare (construction of new basic health units and maternities, as well purchase of ambulances and vaccines), education (construction, expansion and modernization of day care centers, full-time schools and federal institutes and universities) and defence infrastructure. The programme is also expected to create over 4 million jobs in the next 4 years (2.5 million direct jobs and 1.5 million indirect jobs). Some economists have criticised the plan, citing Brazil's poor track record of investment quality and worries regarding fiscal responsibility. Of the energy investments, 343 billion will be made through
Petrobras, a state-owned corporation notable for its involvement in
a corruption scandal during Lula's previous presidency. In June 2023, the Environment Ministry announced a plan to curb deforestation in
Brazil's Legal Amazon, and immediately embargoed all activities being developed inside conservation parks in the region. Additionally, the government announced the creation of 3 million hectares (7,413,161.44 acres) in
protected areas until 2027/ the creation of tracking system using
geopositioning for Amazon agricultural products and
ecolabels were announced as well. In July 2023, deforestation in the
Brazilian Amazon was reported to have fallen 34% over the previous six months while deforestation in the
Brazilian Atlantic forest dropped 42% from January to May 2023 comparatively to the same period of time in 2022. In November 2023, Brazil's
National Institute for Space Research (INPE) reported that the Amazon deforestation rate fell 22% between August 2022 and July 2023, compared to its previous 2021–2022 report (during
Jair Bolsonaro's presidency). Considering only the period of the Lula government, the drop is accentuated to 49.7% compared to the same period of the previous year. Deforestation in protected areas fell the most, being the lowest in 9 years. In total, Imazon highlighted that 2023 had the lowest deforestation rate since 2017. In October 2024, MapBiomas and Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM) reported that the burned area was 150% larger than in 2023, equivalent to the size of the state of
Roraima, through the MapBiomas Fire Monitor. According to the
Copernicus Programme, Brazil broke a record for carbon emissions, releasing 180 megatonnes of
carbon into the atmosphere, largely due to the increase in fires, bringing it close to that recorded in 2007, when the country broke the previous record, with the states of
Amazonas and
Mato Grosso being the biggest emitters. According to INPE, in 2024, Brazil had the highest number of fires of the century.
Human rights Women's rights To guarantee policies that secure
women's rights, the Lula government created, on 8 March, the International Women's Day, numerous actions and measures for this purpose. One of the measures was the Equal Pay Bill, which requires companies to be more transparent and strengthen inspection and combat wage discrimination between women and men.
Racial equality On 6 January, Lula signed into law a bill creating the Day of the
Traditional African religions. Later, on 11 January, Lula signed in a bill that equalized the crime of "racial injury" to racism. On 21 March, the National Day to Combat Racial Discrimination, Lula signed the Racial Equality Bill, made up of seven measures, among which is the "Aquilomba Brasil" programme and the goal of having black people in at least 30% of commissioned positions and functions. On 21 December 2023, Lula sanctioned a bill approved in the deputies' chamber that turned the "Dia Nacional do
Zumbi e da consciência negra" (black consciousness day) into a national holiday.
Indigenous affairs Upon taking office, Lula also issued the
Provisional measure No. 1,154, of 1 January 2023, which created the
Ministry of Indigenous People, and also renamed the '
("National Indian Foundation, FUNAI") to ' ("National Indigenous People Foundation"), in addition to linking this foundation authority to the newly created ministry (it was previously linked to the Ministry of Agriculture). He appointed
Sônia Guajajara as Indigenous minister, and
Joenia Wapichana to head FUNAI, being the first indigenous women to head such offices. On 3 January 2023, Joenia Wapichana announced the creation of several working groups to resume the demarcation of indigenous lands that had been paralyzed in the previous years (such as the Jeju and Areal Indigenous Lands in Pará, Tekoha Porã, Karugwá and Pyhaú lands in São Paulo, Ka'aguy Poty in Rio Grande do Sul, Cambirela in Santa Catarina, Passo Piraju/Nu Porã in Mato Grosso do Sul and the area claimed by the Mukurin people in Minas Gerais), in addition to establishing new groups (for the Aranã and Aranã Caboclo Índio indigenous lands in Minas Gerais and the areas claimed by the Cassupá and Salamãi ethnic groups in Rondônia). Other measures included shifting the
National Council of Traditional Peoples and Communities (CNPCT) from the
Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship to the
Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, as well as the establishment of the "National Secretariat for Traditional Peoples and Communities and Sustainable Rural Development" under the same ministry.
Yanomami crisis On 20 January, the Brazilian
Ministry of Health declared a national emergency following reports of deaths among Yamomami children due to
malnutrition and easily curable diseases. The president of the FUNAI also led the creation of a task force to deal with the humanitarian crisis. Between 2019 and 2023, at least of 570 Yanomami children died from malnutrition, hunger and mercury contamination. Lula accused
Jair Bolsonaro's government of having committed genocide against the Yanomami, several researchers blamed the entry of illegal miners into protected native lands for the high amount of deaths between the local indigenous peoples, as well as alleged connivance and omission of the federal and local/state administrations during the previous government. Due to the high number of deaths since 2023, reports on the situation decreased, until they stopped being published at the beginning of 2024, when there was a further increase in deaths due to violence.
LGBT rights On 7 April 2023, Lula re-established the National Council for LGBTQIA+ Rights, a 38-member body of advisors charged with proposing policies and supporting campaigns aimed towards support for the LGBTQIA+ community in Brazil. The
Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship will be charged with funding for the council. The body previously existed from 2010 until the Bolsonaro presidency.
Other policies On 11 January, Lula signed into law the project which makes the
CPF the only necessary document for identification, after its approval by the Federal Congress. == Foreign affairs ==