News / Brazil

100s rally in Brazil to urge imprisonment of ex-president Lula

Monday, 24 October 2016 6:14 AM [ Last Update: Monday, 24 October 2016 6:16 AM ]

Former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (photo by AFP)

Hundreds of people have rallied in Brazil’s Sao Paulo to demand the imprisonment of former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for alleged corruption.

The participants in the Sunday demonstration held up an effigy of Lula da Silva in a prisoner’s outfit and waved Brazilian flags.

The public’s perception of Lula has been negatively affected by allegations that he had a role in masterminding a large-scale scandal involving state oil giant Petrobras.

There are rumors that construction companies conspired with Petrobras executives to overcharge the oil giant as much as USD two billion, some of which was paid out as bribes to politicians and parties. Based on the accusations, Lula received bribes amounting to USD 1.1 million.

Lula, who helped found the powerful Workers’ Party and was president from 2003 to 2011, has denied the claims. During his time in office, the country witnessed a boom in productivity, demand, sales, as well as wage hikes, helping him wallow in public approval.

The party, however, has had its own popularity plummet over the corruption allegations involving Lula. His hand-picked successor, Dilma Rousseff, who hails from the same party, was also ousted by the Senate for tampering with financial data during an electoral campaign.

Lula, though, retains some public support in Brazil. Most recently, more than 100 people held an overnight vigil in front of Lula’s apartment in the Sao Bernardo do Campo municipality in Sao Paulo. The protest had been called for on social media following a rumor in the media about his possible arrest.

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