Lula's star undimmed for Brazil's slum dwellers

Posters trumpeting the Workers' Party plaster scrappy homes in Sao Paulo's biggest slum, where residents see their own hardship tales reflected in President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Voters in thousands of favelas, or shantytowns, like Heliopolis that dot Brazil's cities could help propel Lula to a second term in elections being held today, and elect his supporters in the Workers' Party, or PT, to Congress.

Throughout this favela's winding streets, residents are preparing to celebrate four more years of rule by the only president in Brazilian history who was born destitute, bootstrapped his way to a better life and proudly wears his humble past on his sleeve.

Teenage get-out-the-vote workers, tired of playing election jingles from white VW vans and convinced their bearded candidate will win, blast hip hop and shake in their seats to pulsating bass lines.

"I'm voting for Lula because I know his history and his party, but if I didn't, I'd vote for somebody else because of all the scandals," said Gil de van Felix, 33.

Corruption plagued Lula's administration, but people say they will keep voting for him because of his roots and programs that have boosted wages or helped out their poorer cousins in Brazil's arid outback who did not move to Sao Paulo's industrial belt. Heliopolis, with more than 120,000 residents, is 80 per cent PT. People refer to one prominent PT Congressman, Aloizio Mercadante, who has been linked to one recent ethics scandal, as their godfather.

Others wistfully recall that PT Senator Eduardo Suplicy, the country's most prominent example of a limousine leftist, watched all of Brazil's World Cup soccer matches in the slum. The kids have adapted to urban life. Their parents, who like Lula fled a rural desert thousands of miles away to search for work, still cling to rural ways.

Years of social mobilisation has made Heliopolis a must stop campaign visit for all politicians. A community newsletter has photos of dozens of candidates from all major political parties appearing at neighborhood events.

But it remains overwhelmingly loyal to Lula and his buddies.