Whether 鈥渇ree or imprisoned,鈥澛燣uiz Inacio Lula da Silva聽鈥渨ill be elected president鈥 of Brazil following October's general election, said former Brazilian President聽Dilma Rousseff, speaking during a visit to Buenos Aires, Argentina, on May 1.
Dilma said the recent attacks on Lula and the Workers鈥 Party are all part of a 鈥渓awfare鈥 against the left in the country.聽
Trade unions across the globe mobilised on April 23 to demand the immediate release from prison of former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The most recent survey conducted by Vox Populi for Brazil鈥檚聽Unified Workers鈥 Union (CUT) found 59% of the Brazilian population consider former聽Brazilian President Luiz Inacio 鈥楲ula鈥 da Silva聽to be a political prisoner. Lula, as he is popularly known, complied with an arrest warrant against him earlier this month few days following a Supreme Court ruling against his appeal earlier this month.
The jailing of ex-Workers鈥 party (PT) president Luiz In谩cio Lula da Silva can only be seen as a continuation of the 鈥渋nstitutional coup鈥 begun in 2016 that ousted elected PT President Dilma Rousseff, writes Juan Cruz Ferre.
Luiz In谩cio Lula da Silva, popularly known as 鈥淟ula鈥, decided to turn himself in after the Brazilian Supreme Court found him guilty of corruption and handed down a 12-year jail sentence on April 5. After 10 hours of debate, the Court turned down Lula鈥檚 plea to remain free by one vote鈥 four against five.
The Brazilian Supreme Court decision jailing former president Luiz In谩cio Lula da Silva for 12 years 鈥 ruling out the politician leading opinion polls ahead of October elections 鈥 has caused an uproar in Brazil, writes Zoe PC.
Jo茫o Pedro Stedile, leader of the Landless Rural Workers鈥 Movement (MST), sees the latest developments as a continuation of the coup of 2016 that forced out democratically elected president Dilma Rouseff, from Lula鈥檚 Workers鈥 Party (PT).聽
Brazilian professor and researcher聽Sabrina Fernandes discusses former president聽Luiz Inacio 鈥淟ula鈥 da Silva鈥檚 January 24 corruption trial and the country鈥檚 forthcoming October presidential election.
Former Brazilian president聽Luiz Inacio 鈥淟ula鈥 da Silva聽has lost his appeal聽against 2017 corruption conviction last year in a major blow to his chances of regaining office.
The judgment was reached on January 24 after two of the three appeal court judges in the case voted to聽uphold the decision of a lower court.聽While Lula can still take his appeal to a higher court, the court's decision could rule him out of October's presidential election.聽
Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva was sentenced on July 12 to nine years and six months jail over corruption charges聽in the Operation Car Wash investigations. The ruling came a day after the Brazilian Senate's approval of President Michel Temer's聽unamended labour reform bill, which has been heavily criticised by trade unions and social movements.
Brazil's trade union confederations have called for a new general strike to shut down the country鈥檚 largest cities on June 30 in protest at neoliberal labour and retirement pension reforms, as well as to demand the resignation of unelected president Michel Temer who is currently embroiled in several corruption controversies.