Lula da Silva Accused of Leading Corruption Network in Brazil's State Oil Company

A prosecutor in Brazil on Wednesday accused former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of leading a corruption network within the state oil company Petrobras. According to Reuters, this is the first time Mr. Lula da Silva has been accused of corruption. Despite these allegations, he is still regarded as one of the most popular politicians in Brazil. Delta Palangol, the public prosecutor, announced at a press conference that corruption in Petrobras has resulted in a loss of $12.6 billion. Meanwhile, Mr. Lula da Silva's defense lawyers stated that the prosecutor has made unsubstantiated allegations against him, which are more politically motivated to obstruct his candidacy in the 2018 presidential elections in Brazil. According to Reuters, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who served as Brazil's president from 2003 to 2010, became a hero for his economic policies aimed at the poor in the country. Delta Palangol stated that Mr. Lula da Silva played a leading and coordinating role in the corruption case involving Petrobras, and this corruption has effectively helped maintain the power of his party, the Workers' Party. The results of a two-year investigation into the corruption case at Petrobras show that political figures appointed by Lula's Workers' Party in the state oil company awarded contracts and tenders to certain engineering firms at inflated prices, receiving bribes and financial support for their party in return. This corruption case and other related cases led to the ousting of the Workers' Party government under President Dilma Rousseff. The Brazilian Senate voted on September 1 of this year to remove Dilma Rousseff from the presidency with 61 votes in favor and 20 against. Dilma Rousseff was Brazil's first female president. She was involved in guerrilla warfare during the dictatorship in the country in the 1970s.