Bulletin 135 – People’s Committee in Defence of Lula and Democracy
Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil – 7/3/2018 – 8:10 PM
1. In a public manifesto that was released today, ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva demanded that the Federal Supreme Court respect the democratic rule of law and judge the motions presented for his defense impartially together with the court. In the Letter in Defense of Democracy, he criticized maneuvers from Supreme Court Ministers against him, reaffirms his innocence and challenges his accusers to present one piece of material evidence against him by August 15th, when his candidacy will be registered in the electoral court. Read the whole document here: http://www.pt.org.br/carta-de-lula-em-defesa-da-democracia/
2. The barrister Geoffrey Robertson, responsible for Lula’s defense in the United Nations, declared today in Genebra, Switzerland, that the thesis used to condemn ex-President Lula is a “farce” and that Sergio Moro acted like an “inquisition judge”. Robertson and the lawyer Valeska Teixeira Zanin Martins complained of restrictions that are being imposed on Lula’s ability to conduct his electoral campaign for the Presidency to the UN Human Rights Committee. Read more here: https://lula.com.br/defesa-alerta-onu-sobre-restricoes-campanha-de-lula
3. On the 87th day of resistance against Lula’s arbitrary imprisonment, the activities in the #LulaLivre Vigil started this morning with an activity called a ‘mystic’, made by activists from the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST). The mystic brought the theme Occupy, Resist, Produce to the Vigil, showing a little of their cultural work on Olga Benario square with banners and music. After the activity, the activists yelled “good morning” to ex-President Lula.
4. After the “good morning” yell, Simone Rezende from the MST Paraná state leadership, facilitated a round of conversations about the national and international conjecture. The members of the democratic resistance in Curitiba also debated the plans for demonstrations in July and August at the #LulaLivre Vigil and the traditional media narrative about the crisis and why it is happening in the country.
5. The protest plans for July and August were the theme of today’s Democracy Network program, which is part of the #LulaLivre Vigil. Roberto Baggio, from the national directorate of the MST, talked about protests to free Lula, denounce his political imprisonment and rescue Brazilian democracy. He reminded the audience that next month there will be a big peoples’ gathering in Brasilia around the Federal Supreme Court, culminating, on August 15th at the Federal Supreme Electoral Court, with the registration of Lula’s candidacy for the Presidency.
6. During the “good afternoon” yell to Lula, which included participation from members of the MST, there was a reading the Letter in Defense of Democracy , written by President Lula. Tertuliano Andrade, pre-candidate for Congress for PT in Paraná, participated in the event.
7. Ex-President Lula has assembled the coordinating committee for this year’s presidential campaign. He nominated ex-Petrobras President José Sergio Gabrielli as General Executive Coordinator, ex-Minister Ricardo Berzoini as Finance Coordinator and Luiz Dulci, Gilberto Carvalho and Lula Institute President Paulo Okamotto as committee members. The General Coordinator of Lula’s governmental program is ex-São Paulo Mayor Fernando Haddad. The names were announced in Brasilia, during a meeting of the party’s National Executive Commission.
Bulletin 135 – People’s Committee in Defense of Lula and Democracy
Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil – 7/3/2018 – 8:10 PM
