Lula Begins his Electoral Campaign from Jail

By Dario Pignotti on May 7, 2018

Upon completing a month of detention in the Supervision of the Federal Police in Curitiba, the former president of Brazil, Lula De Silva, defended the “sovereignty” of his country and warned that nothing will separate him from the campaign towards the elections on October 7.

“This country is only going to be fixed by someone who does not have an inferiority complex , this country cannot think small and I think in big terms and if God wants I will still see this country become a great nation. ”

The words were recorded in a video released on Sunday night by the Lula Institute. Lula’s fifteen-square-meter cell on the fourth floor of the Police Headquarters has become a point of reference since he arrived by helicopter on April 7 after two days of entrenchment in the headquarters of the Union of Metalworkers of Santo André, in San Pablo A chorus of militants received him that night on Saturday, April 7, with the cry of “Lula warrior of the Brazilian people”, after which there was a discharge of rubber bullets and tear gas thrown by the Federal Police into the crowd of supporters.

Almost a month later, thousands of protesters gathered in Curitiba to commemorate Workers’ Day in which all the central unions demanded the freedom of the former mechanic and leader.

Contrary to the mass media reports his popularity remains high as well as his numbers in the poll which stand at 31% compared to 15% for his closest opponent, Jair Bolsonaro, the former army captain who is campaigning pointing with his hand in the form of a gun

At times the southern Curitiba has eclipsed Brasilia as the capital of a country whose government is torn between a record low popularity rating and lack of legitimacy.

Judge Sergio Moro, author of the Lava Jato case (the unproven crime against Lula), determined that the accused should remain isolated and has prevented him from receiving the visits of any politician. He has even been denied a visit to his cell from Nobel Peace Prize winner Adolfo Pérez Esquivel.

The first month of Lula’s imprisonment, “mark a sad date because our President should not to be where he is,” said Gleisi Hoffmann, head of the Workers Party.

Hoffrmann went on to condemn the “racist and fascist” behavior of those who attacked with bullets, leaving two wounded, at the camp assembled by the Workers Party, landless peasants and trade unionists near the place of imprisonment.

Despite the isolation prescribed by Moro, Lula has achieved some victories such as the loosing up of his detention regime with an authorization for a political visit per week that was announced last Thursday.

Up to now Lula’s lawyers have been unsuccessful in their judicial fight to have him removed from confinement but this week the Federal Supreme Court will hear the appeal for his release based on the haste with which Moro ordered his arrest.

“We have a lot of expectation that he will be released before the electoral process begins, because of the complaints that we filed and because the prison sentence was carried out illegally,” Hoffmann said.

https://www.pagina12.com.ar/113139-lula-comenzo-su-campana-desde-la-carcel

Source: Pagina 12, translation Resumen Latinoamericano – North American Bureau