Former Brazilian President to Surrender to Police for 12-Year Prison Sentence

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the former President of Brazil, announced that he would surrender to the police one day after the court set a deadline for the start of his twelve-year prison sentence. Lula da Silva, considered the first working-class president in Brazil, emphasized his innocence during a fiery speech to his red-clad supporters outside the Steel Workers' Union office on Saturday, April 6, calling the bribery charges a political setup against him. He stated, "I will comply with the court's ruling, and in return, each of you will become someone like 'Lula.' I am not above the law. If I did not believe in the law, I would never have started a political party. I created a revolution." Reuters analyzes that Lula's imprisonment will remove one of Brazil's most influential politicians from the political scene, as he had a significant chance of winning this year's presidential election. This event will undoubtedly mark the end of the leftist era in Brazil, as supporters gathered around the Steel Workers' Union in São Paulo, while police awaited the former president's surrender. Lula is accused of receiving bribes, including the renovation of his three-story beachfront apartment, which is alleged to have been done by an engineering company in exchange for government contracts. However, Lula da Silva fundamentally denies ownership of this apartment. He stated, "I am the only one being prosecuted for an apartment that is not mine." The Brazilian Supreme Court rejected Lula da Silva's last appeal for a retrial on Saturday. Brazilian laws prohibit those found guilty in court from running for office for eight years.