Charges filed against Lula meet mixed Congress reactions
The charges filed against former Brazil president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and seven others was met with immediate reactions in Senate. Even before the prosecutors' press conference was over, senators historically opposed to Lula had issued statements commending the efforts of the Federal Prosecution Service (MPF).
“The public prosecutors have done an excellent, meticulous, lengthy job of unravelling this scandal that originated from the mensalão. The Workers' Party (PT), led by Lula, has always behaved like a gang that only cared about obtaining benefits for their group and remain in power. They all should be tried and convicted for their crimes,” said Senator Ronaldo Caiado, leader of DEM party.
For Green Party Senator Álvaro Dias, the charges confirmed “an intricate, sophisticated corruption plot with long-term power ambitions.” He noted the case should not be “prejudiced”, but added that the charges are of “utmost gravity”. Senator Paulo Bauer, leader of PSDB, the party that is the main nemesis of Lula's Workers' Party (PT), said that “no Brazilian citizen is above the law, so we should let justice do its job.”
For Workers' Party members, however, the charges against the former president “had been expected.” According to Senator Paulo Paim, the only question was whether they would be filed before or after the municipal elections in October 2016. “They decided to file them before,” he said. For Paim, “Lula and the Workers' Party face accusations every week, there's nothing new about that. But charges are not the same as conviction, and it doesn't mean they are true,” he said.
Chamber of Deputies
At the Chamber of Deputies, Workers' Party leader Afonso Florence said prosecutors in Operation Car Wash have not provided proof that Lula is the owner of the beachfront triplex apartment over which he is accused of receiving improper advantages. “Investigating is not enough, there must be evidence. They are indicting him without investigation and robust evidence, but they haven't investigated the six allegations implicating Aécio [Neves, national president of the PSDB] and several testimonies implicating [Foreign Minister José] Serra [who is also a PSDB member],” he complained.
The deputy leader of the Workers' Party, Paulo Pimenta, also said the prosecutors' actions are part of “a political strategy that as one of its main aims is trying to tarnish former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the Workers' Party as criminals.” He said the charges are weak and no evidence has been provided of Lula's involvement.
The former president's opponents in the lower house celebrated the indictment. One of them was Deputy Rubens Bueno, who says Lula has used his position as president to obtain improper advantage. “We are seeing a confirmation of all we thought: Lula is the mastermind behind this [corruption] scandal,” he said.
Bueno said, however, that the defense still needs to be heard, and it is up to the court to decide if Lula is liable or innocent. “As a defendant, he [Lula] will have to give explanations before the court and tell about the crimes committed by the Workers' Party in the 13 years of its reign,” he said. “But that's for justice to tell [...] Let's wait and see,” he said.
Deputy Onix Lorenzoni (DEM) said Lula and the Workers' Party are not being politically persecuted through Operation Car Wash. “Public prosecutors are making a careful job, and the charges confirm information gathered by Federal Police. I'm sure the charges will be accepted. There is no question that the triplex belongs to Lula,” he said.
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: Charges filed against Lula meet mixed Congress reactions
