Lula’s wife dies

Former Brazilian first lady Marisa Leticia Lula da Silva, a constant and strong presence at the side of her husband Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during his rise to the presidency and his recent fall, died yesterday. She was 66. She had been hospitalised in Sao Paulo since January 24 after suffering a stroke. Marisa Leticia Rocco Casa De Maraquinha met Silva, who had lost his first wife during childbirth, in 1973, when his career as a union leader was taking off. She developed as an activist, helping to organise large protests of women to demand workers’ rights. Silva was elected president in 2002, after four unsuccessful attempts. Both members of the highly popular couple became entangled in the corruption investigations that have roiled Brazil in recent years.