The currency, the real, has been strengthening steadily, to nearly twice its value against the US dollar in October 2002, when Lula was first elected. Inflation and interest rates are falling, the country is running a trade surplus, foreign investment is flowing in at a high rate, and the government has more than paid off its debts to foreigners, becoming a net creditor to the rest of the world.
卢拉称之为巴西经济的“魔幻”时刻。尽管使用这样的字眼需慎之又慎，但经济基本面却证实了卢拉的预言。货币、不动产一直在稳步攀升，较之2002年10月卢拉首次当选总统时对美元的比价增长了将近两倍。而通货膨胀和利率却一直在下降，国家的对外贸易一直处于顺差，外资也在快速涌入，政府不仅全部还清了所欠外债，而且还以纯债权国的形象出现在世界各国面前。