Page 12 - aruba-today-20180407

A12 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 7 april 2018
Brazil's ex-President 'Lula' defies order to turn self in

By MAURICIO SAVARESE Workers' Party leaders insist
and PETER PRENGAMAN that da Silva, 72, would still
Associated Press be the party's candidate in
SAO BERNARDO DO CAM- October.
PO, Brazil (AP) — Former Technically, beginning to
Brazilian President Luiz Ina- serve his sentence would
cio Lula da Silva defied an not keep da Silva off the
order to turn himself in to ballot. In August, the coun-
police on Friday as he hun- try's top electoral court
kered down with support- makes final decisions about
ers at a metallurgical union candidacies. It was ex-
that was the spiritual birth- pected to deny da Silva's
place of his rise to power. candidacy under Brazil's
The once wildly popular "clean slate" law, which dis-
leader, who rose from pov- qualifies people who have
erty to lead Latin America's had criminal convictions
largest nation, had until 5 upheld. However, da Silva
p.m. local time to present could appeal such a deci-
himself to police in the city sion, though doing so from
of Curitiba to begin serving jail would be more compli-
a sentence of 12 years and cated.
one month for a corruption Da Silva is the latest of
conviction. many high-profile people
At 5 p.m., however, da Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva waves to supporters in front of the metal workers to be ensnared in possi-
Silva remained inside the union headquarters in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Thursday, April 5, 2018. bly the largest corruption
union. Party leaders said Associated Press scandal in Latin American
he was planning to address history. Over the last four
supporters. Moro's warrant on Thurs- Late Thursday, thousands Silva finally won. He gov- years, Brazilians have ex-
Federal judge Sergio Moro, day came after Brazil's top gathered outside the met- erned from 2003 to 2010, perienced near weekly
seen by many in Brazil as a court, the Supreme Fed- allurgical union in Sao Ber- leaving office a world ce- police operations and ar-
crusader against endem- eral Tribunal, voted 6-5 to nardo do Campo where lebrity and with approval rests of the elite, from top
ic graft, ordered da Silva deny a request by the for- the ex-president univer- ratings in the high 80s. politicians to businessmen
to turn present himself to mer president to stay out of sally known as "Lula" got his Former U.S. President like former Odebrecht CEO
police in Curitiba, about prison while he appealed start as a union organizer. Barack Obama once Marcelo Odebrecht.
260 miles (417 kilometers) a conviction that he con- Hundreds spent the night called da Silva the "most Investigators uncovered
southwest of the Sao Paulo tends was simply a way to sleeping on the street. Early popular politician on Earth." a major scheme in which
suburb of Sao Bernardo do keep him off the ballot in Friday, da Silva waved to Since leaving office, things construction companies
Campo. October's election. He is supporters from a window have steadily gotten worse essentially formed a cartel
Two sources close to da the front-running presiden- at the union but did not for the leader, who has that doled out inflated con-
Silva told The Associated tial candidate despite his speak. been charged in several tracts from state oil compa-
Press that the former leader conviction. "Why are they in a rush to ar- corruption cases. He has ny Petrobras, paying billions
would not go to Curitiba, In a statement, Moro said rest him?" said former Presi- always maintained his in- in kickbacks to politicians
but instead was consider- he was giving da Silva the dent Dilma Rousseff, who nocence while continu- and businessmen.
ing either waiting for police opportunity to come in of succeeded da Silva and in ing to campaign across While Moro, who over-
at the union or presenting his own accord because 2016 was impeached and the country the past year. sees many cases in the
himself in Sao Paulo. They he had been Brazil's presi- ousted from office. "They Despite his legal troubles, so-Called "Operation Car
spoke on the condition of dent. He also said a special fear that Lula would get he leads preference polls Wash," is hailed as a hero
anonymity because they cell away from other in- a favorable decision in (a to return to office — if by by many, others see him as
were not authorized to mates had been prepared higher appeals) court. That some chance he is allowed a partisan hit man out to
share internal deliberations for da Silva at the jail in Cu- is part of the coup that re- to run. get da Silva and the Work-
being discussed. ritiba, where Moro ordered moved me from the presi- Like so much in a nation ers' Party.
Forcing da Silva out of the da Silva to present himself. dency." that has become deeply Da Silva was convicted
union building on a Friday Last year, Moro convicted However it happens, the polarized, the fact that da in July of helping a con-
night would be a logistical da Silva of trading favors jailing of da Silva will mark a Silva would soon be behind struction company get
nightmare given the thou- with a construction com- colossal fall from grace for bars was being interpreted sweetheart contracts in ex-
sands of supporters outside pany in exchange for the a man who rose to power differently by supporters change for the promise of
and heavy Friday traffic in promise of a beachfront against steep odds in one and detractors. the apartment. He denies
Sao Paulo. apartment. That conviction of the world's most unequal "Brazil scored a goal against any wrongdoing in that
"I don't see why he should was upheld by an appeals countries. impunity and corruption," case or in several other cor-
turn himself in just because court in January. Born in the hardscrabble said Congressman Jair Bol- ruption cases that have yet
judge Moro had an anxiety The speed with which Moro northeast, da Silva rose sonaro, a right-leaning for- to be tried.q
crisis," Sen. Lindbergh Far- issued the warrant surprised through the ranks of the mer army captain who is
ias, from the Workers' Party, many, as legal observers union in the country's in- second in the polls after da
told journalists at the union. said there were technicali- dustrial south. In 1980, dur- Silva.
"I think they should have to ties from da Silva's upheld ing the military dictatorship, "Lula is one of us. He knows
go through the embarrass- appeal that would not be da Silva was arrested in Sao what it is like to have a
ment of coming here and sorted out until next week. Bernardo do Campo for or- tough life and loves the
taking him in front of all Such technicalities "were ganizing strikes. He would poor more than the rich,"
these people." simply a pathology that spend more than a month said Antonio Ferreira dos
"That footage will be seen should be eliminated from in jail. Santos, a 43-year-old brick-
around the world and it will the judicial world," Moro After running for president layer who was keeping vigil
be historic," he added. said in his statement. several times, in 2002 da outside the union.