Corruption case could affect Brazil’s elections
Former president Da Silva leads preference polls, but may be barred from running
“I supported Lula long ago, but he became one of the crooks.” DIEGO ESTEVES UNIVERSITY STUDENT
PORTO ALEGRE, BRAZIL— An appellate court in Brazil is considering whether to uphold or throw out a corruption conviction against former president Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, a decision that could impact presidential elections and even stability in Latin America’s largest nation.
If the three-member court upholds the conviction, Da Silva could be barred from running in elections this year.
Despite myriad legal troubles — Da Silva has been convicted in one case and is facing charges in six others — the 72-year-old leads preference polls for October’s race.
Authorities closed streets around the court in the southern city of Porto Alegre on Wednesday as the case opened. Helicopters hovered above and sharpshooters were positioned on rooftops.
In opening statements, Judge Joao Pedro Gebran Neto called on prosecutors and defence lawyers to only focus on the facts of the case.
“We are not ruling on people’s lives in the past,” he said, alluding to Da Silva’s political career.
In this deeply polarized nation, however, the case is part of a larger narrative, with Da Silva’s supporters and detractors offering their own interpretations.
Da Silva and his supporters say it and the other corruption cases are an attempt to keep him from returning to office. They argue it’s part of a larger conspiracy: The nation’s elite don’t want a president who would focus on the poor and equal the playing field in one of the world’s most unequal nations.
Detractors note that Da Silva and his left-leaning Workers’ Party were running the country while a massive corruption scheme siphoned billions from state oil company Petrobras and helped Latin America’s largest economy fall into its worst recession in decades.
“I supported Lula long ago, but he became one of the crooks,” said Diego Esteves, a university student in Porto Alegre.
Over the past several years, the socalled “Car Wash” corruption scandal has landed dozens of the elite, from businessmen to politicians, in jail. Several construction companies formed a de facto cartel, which de- cided who would get inflated contracts that included billions of dollars in bribes in kickbacks to politicians, company officials and parties in the form of campaign contributions.
The case being reviewed Wednesday was related to a beachfront apartment in Guaruja, a city in the state of Sao Paulo. Prosecutors argued that Da Silva was promised the apartment, owned by construction company OAS, in exchange for contracts. In plea bargain testimony, the company’s CEO said the apartment was slated for Da Silva.
“There is no doubt about the evidence,” said prosecutor Mauricio Gotardo Gerum. “Numerous tax notes, testimony and messages between executives indicated the apartment was being prepared for the former president.”
The former president and his lawyers argue the case defies logic, as the former president universally known as “Lula” never owned the apartment.
“It’s clear from the records that (Da Silva) never received the keys or spent a single day or night” at the property, said lawyer Cristiano Zanin.
In July, Judge Sergio Moro sentenced Da Silva to 91⁄ years in pris
2 on. Moro has been the presiding judge in many of the major “Car Wash” cases and his convictions have rarely been overturned.
Many Brazilians see Moro as a hero rooting out endemic corruption, while others see him as deeply partisan and intent on keeping the left from returning to power.
Late Tuesday, Da Silva, a former union leader who governed Brazil from 2003-10, flew to Porto Alegre to address thousands gathering outside in support.
“Only one thing will take me out of the streets of this country, and that will be the day that I die,” Da Silva told the crowd. “Until then, I will be fighting for a fairer society. Whatever is the result of this trial, I will keep fighting for the dignity of the people of this country.”
On Wednesday, thousands of Da Silva supporters and a smaller number of detractors descended on Porto Alegre.
“This is not a simple trial. This is us against them,” said school teacher Claudio Thomas, who likened the atmosphere to a soccer competition. “Even if Lula loses this match — and our judiciary seems rigged enough for me to believe he will lose — the championship does not end here.”