Marisa Letícia Lula da Silva

Her Excellency Marisa Letícia Lula da Silva
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First Lady of Brazil
In office January 1, 2003 – January 1, 2011
Preceded by	Ruth Cardoso
Succeeded by	Vacant
Personal details
Born	Marisa Letícia Rocco Casa (1950-04-07) April 7, 1950 São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil
Nationality	Brazilian and Italian
Spouse(s)	Marcos Cláudio da Silva (1970-71) Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (1974-present)
Children	Marcos Cláudio Lula da Silva (b. 1970) Fábio Luís Lula da Silva (b. 1975) Sandro Luís Lula da Silva (b. 1980) Luís Cláudio Lula da Silva (b. 1987)
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Marisa Letícia Lula da Silva, (born Marisa Letícia Rocco Casa on April 7, 1950), is the second wife of former President of Brazil Luiz Inácio "Lula" da Silva, and thus she was the First Lady of Brazil from 2003 to 2010. Lula's first wife, Maria de Lourdes da Silva, died in labour when Lula was in his twenties.

Background

Marisa Letícia Lula da Silva was born in the city of São Bernardo do Campo, in the São Paulo's Metropolitan Area. There she grew up, studied, worked, married and built her political militancy. She has been married to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva since 1974 and has four children and two grandchildren.

Born of Italian grandparents (Lombards from Palazzago, Province of Bergamo), Marisa is the penultimate among Antônio João Casa (son of Giovanni Casa and Carolina Gambirasio) and Regina Rocco's (daughter of Mariano Rocco and Giovanna Boff) eleven children.

Until she was five years old, Marisa lived with her family in the old Casa farm, where her grandfather built the St. Anthony Chapel, still standing to this day. The area is currently known as the Casa neighborhood in honor of her family, one of the first ones to arrive in the area.

In 1955 the family moved to downtown São Bernardo do Campo. Marisa’s first school was made of wood. In third grade she was transferred to the school Grupo Escolar Maria Iracema Munhoz. At age nine she started working as babysitter for three younger girls.

When she was thirteen years old, she got a job at the Dulcora chocolate factory. Because she could not be registered as an official worker, her father signed an authorization so she could work as a chocolate wrapper. She remained in the factory until she was twenty-one, when she became pregnant of her first son.

In 1973, widow and mother of one son of her first marriage, Maria Letícia returned to work, this time as a state school inspector hired by the City Hall. That same year she met Lula at the Metallurgist’s Trade Union of São Bernardo do Campo. Seven months later they got married.

In 1975, Lula was elected Head of the Metallurgist’s Trade Union of São Bernardo do Campo. This period also marked the beginning of Marisa’s political militancy. Always side by Lula, she encouraged other women to participate in the Trade Union of ABCD. Then, in 1978 the strikes began in the ABC region of São Paulo.

Marisa Leticia with Syrian first lady Asma al-Assad at the National Museum of Syria.

The Workers' Party (PT) was founded on 10 February 1980. Marisa cut and sewed the first flag. Being an active militant, she helped to create the various divisions and stamp t-shirts in order to collect funds to the Party. In April of that same year, the Federal Government decreed the intervention in the union. Having lost their gathering space, Marisa’s house became the stage for meetings of unionists, politicians, artists and intellectuals. Then, Lula and other union leaders were arrested.

During this time, Marisa helped to organize a women’s protest march for releasing the Union leaders. Surrounded by policemen, tanks and cavalry, thousands of women and children left Praça da Matriz and walked through Marechal Deodoro street to the Paço Municipal and returned to the Matriz Church. A great act was held with the participation of the then bishop of Santo André, Dom Cláudio Hummes.

During the elections that Lula ran in 1982, 1986, 1994 and 1998 Marisa Letícia shared her time among her children, house and the campaigns. She also participated in the Citizenship Caravans that crossed the country. Together with Lula, she discovered the reality of the Brazilian people.

In 2002, having raised her four children to adulthood, the wife of candidate Lula was able to dedicate herself entirely to that year’s electoral campaign. At Lula’s side she crossed the country as his most valuable electoral support. Marisa’s constant and marking presence throughout Lula’s trajectory reaffirmed her position as first-comrade.

In one of President Luíz Inácio Lula da Silva’s trips abroad, in October 2003, the First Lady was awarded the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit.

In the 2009 biographical film Lula, o filho do Brasil, Marisa Letícia was portrayed by the actress Juliana Baroni.

Honours

• Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic (Kingdom of Spain, 11 July 2003).
• Dame Gran Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit (Kingdom of Norway, 2003).