by João Marcelo
SAO PAULO – “I was a victim of the biggest legal lie in this country.” With this phrase, ex-president Lula started the press conference at the Metalworkers Union, in São Bernardo do Campo, in the greater São Paulo, this Wednesday morning, 10. This is the ex-president’s first press conference after the decision of Minister Edison Fachin to annul Lula’s convictions motivated by the processes of the operation “Lava-Jato”, created to investigate embezzlement of Petrobras resources during the PT – Partido dos Trabalhadores – government.
With a forceful speech, the ex-president defended himself against the charges that led to his arrest and talked about his time in prison. Lula said that although he was banned from attending his brother’s funeral and the fact that his wife died during this period, he is grateful for the welcome he received from both his supporters and important figures in Brazil and the world, such as the ex-candidate and current president of Argentina, Alberto Fernandéz, who visited him in Curitiba. The former president also thanked Pope Francis, whom he met after leaving prison. Lula also said that he was grateful to the Minister of the Supreme Federal Court, Edson Fachin, for having fulfilled what the PT had been demanding since 2016. “I was happy with the truth,” said Lula. The leader of the Workers’ Party called the Lava Jato de Curitiba prosecutors a “gang”. “Moro knew that the only way to get me was through Lava Jato. They were obsessed. They wanted to create a political party. … But, the truth prevailed.”
Luis Inácio Lula da Silva also criticized President Jair Bolsonaro on several issues. Regarding the pandemic, the ex-president stated that, “The president (Bolsonaro) should have created, right at the beginning of the pandemic, a crisis committee to guide all the week what the population should do, organize field hospitals, visit regions prejudiced. He doesn’t know how to be president of the republic“. And he still fired: “Do not follow any stupid decision by the President of the Republic or the Minister of Health.