“Lula is not only Lula. Lula is an idea.” Or so said Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva about himself six months ago during a rally in Rio de Janeiro. While the statement might be thoroughly immodest, it is accurate. Not long ago, Lula was more than the president of Latin America’s largest economy: he was the embodiment of an ideal politician, a man who escaped poverty to lead a nation of 200 million people to a glorious future.
When Lula left office in December 2010, he was supported by over 80 percent of Brazilians. No other Brazilian politician has reached levels of approval that can even begin to compete with that number. Lula’s prestige was so great that he managed to elect as his successor Dilma Rousseff, who had never run for office – any office – in her life.
Now, Lula is set to become the first former president to find himself behind bars. The Supreme Court has decided to deny him the right to suspend the effects of a criminal conviction. In July 2017, a federal court convicted him to a prison sentence of 9 and a half years for corruption and money laundering. On January 24, an appellate court confirmed that conviction, increasing the penalty to 12 years and one month.
With a vote of 6-5, the Supreme Court has decided that Lula should begin serving that sentence – that, however, could take days – or weeks. Justice Rosa...
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