One of the participants in the inauguration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), the she-dog Resistência was adopted by him and his wife Rosângela da Silva, Janja, and has become the couple's companion in the last four years, going through phases such as the arrest of the PT member and his victorious presidential campaign.
This Sunday (1st), she went up the Planalto ramp led by Lula and Janja.
A mongrel, or SRD (No defined breed), Resistência —whose full name is Resistência Lula da Silva— lived on the streets of Curitiba and crossed paths with Lula when he was incarcerated at the Federal Police superintendence in the capital of Paraná.
The decisive step towards becoming a presidential pet dog came through her approach to Janja. Lula's then girlfriend used to visit the gathering of supporters outside the Federal Police and, crazy about dogs, she started to consider adoption when she met Resistência.
The decision was finally made at a serious moment: the dog became ill and had to be hospitalized for about a week in June 2018.
In an inauguration ceremony that aimed to highlight diversity, the dark-furred mongrel that wandered the streets starving before being rewarded with a dignified life became, in a way, a representation of the government's sense of inclusion, and of the battle against poverty and prejudices, which Lula claims to be one of his goals.
Translated by Cassy Dias