Lula - Arrested

[celedhring]

Wait a second.  Do I understand this correctly?  So the previous president was under investigation for corruption.  In order to avoid charges, the current president decides to appoint him to a cabinet post that will exempt him from prosecution?

It will make it harder to prosecute, not exempt. But yeah, it's so nakedly corrupt. I was speechless when I heard it.

I have no words.  I thought my understanding must be wrong, because nobody is going to do something like that.

The president - Rousseff - is in the process of being impeached, so I don't think they care much for appearances at this point.

[DontSayBanana]

It will make it harder to prosecute, not exempt. But yeah, it's so nakedly corrupt. I was speechless when I heard it.

It's a stall tactic.  It takes Brazil's supreme court to investigate a cabinet member, and considering they tried repeatedly to block his appointment, it doesn't sound as if courts are too kindly disposed toward Lula at the moment.

[Zanza]

They should realize their time is over. Between impeachment and indictment and the gigantic million-strong protests in the street, this government has lost all legitimacy.

[DGuller]

Yeah, I'm surprised that their party is not doing more to dump them.  They're clearly a liability at this point.

[celedhring]

Think I'm going to rewatch Terra Em Transe tonight 

[Norgy]

Best Brazilian movie ever: Tropa de Elite.

[PJL]

Of course the only reason that they're going for him is that Lula is a socialist. Had it been a more right wing ex-president, they wouldn't even be bothering to try and arrest him. Talk about double standards.

[The Brain]

Is Lula a man?

[Norgy]

Being Brazilian, he probably had one.

[celedhring]

Of course the only reason that they're going for him is that Lula is a socialist. Had it been a more right wing ex-president, they wouldn't even be bothering to try and arrest him. Talk about double standards.

Even if that is true - and not knowing Brazil I'm not going to dip my toes there - the answer is not letting Lula go, is to prosecute them all.

Anyway, the Brazilian Supreme Court has suspended Lula's appointment as minister.

[Admiral Yi]

Of course the only reason that they're going for him is that Lula is a socialist. Had it been a more right wing ex-president, they wouldn't even be bothering to try and arrest him. Talk about double standards.

The only right wing government Brazil has had in living memory is the military junta, who negotiated amnesties for themselves when they handed power back to a civilian government.