Curitiba, Paraná,Brazil- 4/13/2018 4:30 PM
- More than 7000 people have come to the Lula Livre camp since last Saturday, April 7. They are people from at least 12 states, including Rio Grande de Sul, Santa Catarina, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, Pará, Maranhão, Ceará, Roraima and Pernambuco. Organizations present at the camp include the MST, CMP, Apeoesp, MMM, UJS, CUT, PT, PcdoB, PCO, Fetraf, FUP, CNTE, MAB, PSOL, MPA,CONTAG the Força Sindical and others. The ABC Metallurgical Workers Union has decided to have directors there 24 hours a day, working in shifts.
- After nearly a week, large press companies have resolved to finally enter the Lula Livre Democratic Vigil camp, in Curitiba, to produce stories for TV, websites and big newspapers. The journalists were politely received by the activists and supporters of Lula who hope that, finally, their voices will be heard and well represented in the national media.
- Camps are being set up by the Brazil Popular Front (FBP) and the Fearless People’s Front (Povo sem Medo) across Brazil in defense of democracy, denouncing ex-President Lula’s political imprisonment, in Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro and Fortaleza. The people’s democratic mobilization continues to grow!
- Congresswoman Maria do Rosário (PT-Rio Grande do Sul) spent the morning in the Lula Livre camp, where she invited representatives of over 100 civil society organizations to sign a letter being sent to ask the UN to officially recognize ex-President Lula’s status as a political prisoner. “We can’t have a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize in prison in Brazil,” said the ex-minister.
- Thousands of people are expected to show up for the nightly ceremony in which the crowd yells “Good Night” to ex-President Lula, who can hear the yells from his cell in the Federal Police headquarters. The organizers are asking that everyone bring candles, lanterns or cellphones so that the vigil can light up the night sky of Curitiba.
- On this sunny afternoon, all of the areas in the Lula Livre camp are animated with the sounds of drums and a lot of cultural activities. Ex-Minister Eleonora Menicucci and José Reinaldo Carvalho (PcdoB) are expected to arrive in the evening.
- Olivio Dutra, the ex-Governor of Rio Grande do Sul, confirmed that he will come to the political protest tomorrow, on the Olga Benário corner in the camp in Curitiba.
- A women’s group from Curitiba will hold Maracatu de Baque Virado folk music workshop at 10 AM Saturday morning. The Baque Mulher Curitiba is inviting all comers to participate. You do not need a musical instrument or any musical experience.
Bulletin 18 – People’s Committee in Defense of Lula and Democracy
Curitiba,Paraná, Brazil- 4/13/2018 4:30 PM