Judges knock down challenge to Brazil ex-president
Top Brazilian judge blocks Cabinet post for ex-president
(about 2 hours later)
SAO PAULO — A Brazilian appeals court on Friday slapped down a second attempt to block a Cabinet post for former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and tens of thousands of his supporters rallied to back an embattled government facing a host of crises.
SAO PAULO — A Supreme Court justice in Brazil has suspended a Cabinet post appointment for former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the latest development in a legal battle that is sharply dividing an already polarized nation.
Silva was sworn in as chief aide to President Dilma Rousseff on Thursday, a post that will let the charismatic politician help the president battle an impeachment effort and one that also makes it harder to investigate any possible links to a corruption scandal at the state oil company.
Federal Court Justice Gilmar Mendes released his written decision late Friday. Mendes wrote that Silva’s appointment by President Dilma Rousseff was clearly an attempt to get around his mounting legal woes.
Opponents quickly won injunctions from two regional federal judges to block his appointment, but both were quickly overturned.
Two weeks ago, Silva was brought in for questioning in a sprawling investigation into an alleged kickback scheme in the state oil company Petrobras. In becoming a Cabinet minister, Silva can only be prosecuted by a decision of the Supreme Court.
Later in the afternoon a federal judge in the city of Assis, Sao Paulo state ordered a third injunction blocking Silva from assuming his Cabinet post. The Solicitor General’s Office told the G1 news portal it plans to file an appeal but did not specify when.
Mendes’ decision leaves Silva, and the country, in limbo. The government will surely appeal the decision, which eventually will have to be decided on by the full Court.
Supporters of Silva, who was one of the world’s most famous leaders as president from 2003 to 2010, gathered in rallies across Brazil, particularly in the industrial south, where the former factory worker has his base.
In Sao Paulo, tens of thousands gathered on Avenida Paulista in front of the city’s art museum. Most wore red T-shirts and caps and frequently chanted, “Lula, the minister of hope.” The respected Datafolha polling agency estimated 95,000 people took part in the rally, while police estimates put turnout at 80,000.
When Silva appeared on top of a large sound truck to address the crowd he was greeted with loud cheers and shouts of “Lula, Lula.”
“Next week, if there is no impediment, I will start to proudly serve President Dilma and the Brazilian people,” he said.
“I am not going back to the government to fight but to help,” he said. “I am going back to help President Dilma do what must be done — re-establish peace and hope. There is no room for hate in this country.”
He wound up his 20 minute speech staring at the crowd and shouting: “there will be no coup.”
“Lula, Dilma and the Worker’s Party are the only ones who have helped the poor, gave us access to better education, jobs and health care,” said Ronaldo Carlos a 35-year-old private security guard as he waved a red and white banner with Rousseff’s face and the phrase “Dilma Stays” on it.
The political turmoil comes as Brazil prepares to host the Summer Olympics in August and Latin America’s most populous nation faces crises on several fronts. The country is at the center of an outbreak of the Zika virus, which health experts believe can cause abnormally small heads in newborns. And its economy, long an engine for neighboring countries, has sharply contracted by nearly 4 percent. Inflation has spiked the last year and announcements of job layoffs have become common.
Rousseff’s opponents accuse her of trying to help Silva avoid legal woes. Less than two weeks ago, he was taken in for questioning in the sprawling Petrobras kickback probe that has ensnared both allies and rivals of the former president. Cabinet members cannot be investigated, charged or imprisoned unless authorized by the Supreme Court.
Rousseff supporters have a different take: They say the 70-year-old Silva, known for his ability to build consensus and disarming charisma, could save Rousseff’s job and help bring the economy back from the abyss.
Rousseff, with approval ratings in the single digits, is fighting against attempts to oust her over allegations of fiscal mismanagement unrelated to the Petrobras case. The move toward impeachment advanced this week as the lower house established a special commission on the matter.
Both Rousseff and Lula have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
In a public letter Friday, Silva called the last two weeks “sad and embarrassing episodes” that hurt all Brazilians.
As he often does, he harkened to his hardscrabble past. He noted he had little formal education, “But I know, as a human being, how to distinguish between right and wrong, and what is justice and injustice.”
He also questioned the legality of the surprise release of tapped phone calls between him and a host of prominent public figures, including Rousseff herself.
Judge Sergio Moro, overseeing the Petrobras case, released the recordings late Wednesday, hours after the announcement of Silva’s appointment, saying that the taps appeared to suggest attempts to influence judicial officials in Lula’s favor.
Rousseff called the recordings illegal and said their release made “clear the attempt to overstep the limits of the democratic state.”
The simmering anger that bought an estimated 3 million people onto the streets in nationwide anti-government demonstrations over the weekend again spilled over Thursday with protests in Brasilia and Sao Paulo.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
