Curitiba – 8/15/2018 – 8.30 PM
- It’s official: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is the Workers’ Party candidate for the Presidency of the Republic. His candidacy was registered with the Higher Electoral Court (TSE) this Wednesday (08/15). In the words of Fernando Haddad, the candidate for Vice President on the Lula ticket (supported by a coalition made up of the Workers’ Party (PT), the Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB) and the Republican Party of the Social Order (Pros) and Lula’s spokesman, “the registration of Lula’s candidacy is an act of obedience to the will of the people and the Federal Constitution.” The registration was undertaken by the president of the PT, Senator Gleisi Hoffmann, accompanied by Fernando Haddad, state deputy Manuela D’Ávila (PCdoB) and the deposed president of the Republic, Dilma Rousseff, as well as various parliamentarians and party leaders. Read more: http://www.pt.org.br/lula-e-registrado-candidato-a-presidente-da-republica/
- “I want the people to be able to decide if they will give me the opportunity to fix the country.” The foregoing is an excerpt from Lula’s letter to the Brazilian people shortly after registering his candidacy. The letter was read by Fernando Haddad from on top of a truck with a sound system parked next to the TSE. In the letter, Lula denounces the judicial persecution of Sergio Moro against him and affirms that his imprisonment without evidence took place on the basis of a lie published by the newspaper O Globo, belonging to the Marinho family. “I am the victim of a judicial witch-hunt that will go down in history”, Lula said. Read the letter: http://www.pt.org.br/carta-de-lula-apos-registro-oficial-de-sua-candidatura/
- This afternoon, the Ministries’ Esplanade in Brasilia was occupied by thousands of protesters who participated in the Free Lula March, calling for Lula to be freed, and supporting his candidacy and democracy. The March ended in front of the TSE, in a celebration of Lula’s candidacy. The presence of thousands of people to support the candidacy of a presidential candidate is an event without parallel in the history of Brazil.
- During the event, a manifesto was read in which 152 jurists defended the legality and legitimacy of Lula’s candidacy and repudiated any maneuver that could contradict this right, which is guaranteed by the Constitution. Read more: http://www.pt.org.br/manifesto-assinado-por-152-juristas-defende-candidatura-de-lula/
- Lula’s electoral program (O Plano Lula de Governo) was also registered with the TSE today. The program may be read in full here: http://www.pt.org.br/plano-lula-de-governo-e-registrado-no-tse/
- The Free Lula March in Brasília was bolstered today by leaders of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). They had come to Brazil to express support for democracy and Lula’s release. In a meeting with the Workers’ Party Congressional caucus, PT leader Paulo Pimenta (Rio Grande do Sul) spoke to them about the suspected links between the US Department of Justice and the Operation Car Wash. AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Tefere Gebre, said the Federation is on hand to assist the Brazilian struggle for democracy. Read more: https://ptnacamara.org.br//2018/08/15/maior-central-s
- The Attorney-General of the Republic Raquel Dodge, the Minister of Security, Raul Jungmann, the President of the Federal Regional Court of the 4th Region, Thompson Flores, and the Federal Police director, Rogério Galloro, will have to explain their misuse and abuses of power against former President Lula to the National Congress. The Workers’ Party House and Senate caucuses today filed formal requests for their presence in Congress. A specific action against Judge Sérgio Moro is also being prepared. Read more:
- In Curitiba, the “good afternoon” yell to former President Lula on this, the 131st day of democratic resistance, included participation by Landless Movement (MST) activists from Santa Catarina state, who arrived in Curitiba this morning. Manuel Antonio Roque, regional head of the MST in Santa Catarina, said that August 15 will go down in history, as the day Lula’s candidacy was registered, “so that he can be elected president and make Brazil smile again.” Activists from the Unitary Forum of Struggle of the Southwest region of Paraná state also participated in “good afternoon” yell and the celebration of his candidacy. Read more: http://www.pt.org.br/ato-em-curitiba-celebra-registro-de-candidatura-no-tse/
Bulletin 178 – Popular Committee in Defense of Lula and Democracy
Curitiba – 8/15/2018 – 8.30 PM
