As an opponent of the military dictatorship that ruled his country years ago, Lula advocated respect for human rights, free and fair elections, and representative democracy. But he paid little heed to these issues in office, dismissing concerns about human rights and democracy throughout the region and elsewhere, particularly in Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran.
第三，罗塞芙的政治出身和言论倾向都属于激进左派，这不能不让人怀疑她能否继续卢拉在经济和社会政策上的实用主义中间路线。虽然罗塞芙同卢拉一样坚持民主，但她似乎是凯恩斯主义财政刺激手段的拥趸、公然赞成政府出手干涉经济，这引起一些人的担忧。另外，也有人担心她没有像卢拉般掌控劳动党的手腕。