Dilma Rousseff  |
Dilma Rousseff, the economist and politician from Brazil, became the first women President of the country. Brazil celebrated the election of its first female President on Monday.
Rousseff, who was appointed Chief of Staff by the then President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in June 2005, earned 56 percent of votes in the election conducted on Sunday while her opponent Jose Serra achieved only 44 percent of votes.
Rousseff has promised to extend the policies implemented by the outing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. She also assured that Luiz’s influence would still exist in her tenure as well.
“I will knock on his door often, and I know it will always be open. The task of succeeding him is difficult and challenging. But I know I will honor this legacy and extend his work,” Rousseff said.
The United States President Barack Obama congratulated the newly elected President, a White House statement said.
The statement said that the President had called Rousseff, “to congratulate her on her historic victory in yesterday's election. He commended the people of Brazil for their faith and commitment to democracy.”
Dilma Vana Rousseff, 62, was a socialist who joined an urban guerrilla group that fought against military dictatorship. She was imprisoned for two years between 1970 and 1972.
Besides serving as a Chief of Staff under the outgoing President Luiz, she was also the Secretary of the Treasury of Porto Alegre during the Alceu Collares administration and Secretary of Energy of Rio Grande do Sul under Collares and Olívio Dutra administrations.
