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Brazil’s Ex-Leader, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Is Held for Questioning Brazil’s Ex-Leader, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Is Held for Questioning
(35 minutes later)
RIO DE JANEIRO — Police officers raided the home of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the former president of Brazil who is under investigation in a colossal graft scheme involving the national oil company Petrobras, on Friday morning, and took him into custody. RIO DE JANEIRO — Police officers on Friday raided the home of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the former president of Brazil under investigation in a colossal graft scheme involving the national oil company, and took him into custody.
In an operation that began at 6 a.m., officers from the Federal Police swarmed Mr. da Silva’s home in São Paulo. He was taken to a police station at Congonhas Airport for questioning, but he has not been arrested or charged.In an operation that began at 6 a.m., officers from the Federal Police swarmed Mr. da Silva’s home in São Paulo. He was taken to a police station at Congonhas Airport for questioning, but he has not been arrested or charged.
Mr. da Silva, who served from 2003 through 2010, has been facing an array of legal challenges related largely to his close ties to giant construction companies that profited from lucrative government contracts. Universally known as Lula, Mr. da Silva, 70, remains a towering figure in the governing left-wing Workers’ Party. He was president from 2003 through 2010, and he continues to exert considerable sway in the capital, Brasília, ranking among Brazil’s most powerful figures.
Universally known as Lula, Mr. da Silva, 70, remains a towering figure in the governing left-wing Workers’ Party. He continues to exert considerable sway in the capital, Brasília, and ranks among Brazil’s most powerful figures. More than any other politician, Mr. da Silva was the face of Brazil at a time when the country, Latin America’s largest, emerged as a rising power in the developing world, boasting huge offshore oil discoveries and thriving trade with China.
More than any other Brazilian politician, Mr. da Silva was the face of the country’s boom at a time when the country, Latin America’s largest, emerged as a rising power in the developing world, boasting huge offshore oil discoveries and thriving trade with China. The expanding criminal investigation comes at a time of growing political and economic turmoil in Brazil, with Mr. da Silva and his successor, President Dilma Rousseff, grappling with a downturn in global commodity prices and with soaring discontent over reports of corruption at nearly every level of government.
The expanding criminal investigation comes at a time of growing political and economic turmoil in Brazil, with Mr. da Silva and his successor, Dilma Rousseff, grappling with a downturn in global commodity prices and with soaring discontent over reports of corruption at nearly every level of government. Ms. Rousseff is already facing impeachment proceedings over her use of funds from state banks to cover budget gaps. Beyond that, an array of politicians, including several from her party, are in jail or on trial for corruption at the national oil company, Petrobras. For years, prosecutors say, hundreds of millions of dollars were siphoned from the company and channeled into political campaigns.
Ms. Rousseff is already facing impeachment proceedings over her use of funds from state banks to cover budget gaps. Her aides were also scrambling on Thursday to respond to a news report saying that Delcídio do Amaral, a senator in the Workers’ Party, was negotiating a plea deal in which he would testify that Mr. da Silva had arranged for illegal payments to Marcos Valério de Souza, a businessman convicted of operating a vote-buying scheme during Mr. da Silva’s time in office.
According to the report, in the newsmagazine Isto É, Mr. do Amaral told investigators that Ms. Rousseff had maneuvered to appoint a judge to one of Brazil’s highest courts, in an attempt to release executives jailed in the Petrobras scandal.
Mr. do Amaral, who was arrested in November on charges of trying to obstruct the Petrobras investigation and who was released in February, issued a cryptic statement in which he did not confirm or deny the magazine article. Ms. Rousseff, for her part, claimed that investigators were illegally leaking details of plea deal negotiations in an attempt to smear her government.
A souring economy is also raising pressure on Ms. Rousseff, with the authorities reporting this week a 3.8 percent plunge in gross domestic product in 2015, the worst decline in 25 years. The economic crisis has contributed to a surge in unemployment, erasing some of the gains achieved during the boom years.A souring economy is also raising pressure on Ms. Rousseff, with the authorities reporting this week a 3.8 percent plunge in gross domestic product in 2015, the worst decline in 25 years. The economic crisis has contributed to a surge in unemployment, erasing some of the gains achieved during the boom years.
Prosecutors are examining whether OAS and Odebrecht — two construction companies that profited enormously from government contracts under both Mr. da Silva’s and Ms. Rousseff — may have benefited from renovating properties intended to be used by the former president and his family, including a country estate and a beachfront apartment. The move against Mr. da Silva raises questions about his political future and the ambitions of the Workers Party to retain the presidency. As recently as last week, he defiantly signaled in public statements that he planned to run for president again in 2018.
“They’re going to have to defeat me on the street,” he told supporters at a party celebrating the anniversary of the Workers Party, founded 36 years ago during Brazil’s military dictatorship. “I’ll be 72 but as hot and ready to go as a man of 30.”
Groups of Mr. da Silva’s opponents and supporters squared off in front of his home in São Paulo on Friday, shouting insults at one another. A man clad in a red shirt, the signature color of the Workers Party, was captured on television punching another man amid the confusion.
Prosecutors are examining whether OAS and Odebrecht — two construction companies that profited enormously from government contracts under both Mr. da Silva’s and Ms. Rousseff — may have gotten special consideration for government contracts by renovating properties intended to be used by the former president and his family, including a country estate and a beachfront apartment.
The former chief executive of OAS has been sentenced in connection with a bribery plot involving Petrobras, and the billionaire former chief of Odebrecht has been charged and jailed pending trial.The former chief executive of OAS has been sentenced in connection with a bribery plot involving Petrobras, and the billionaire former chief of Odebrecht has been charged and jailed pending trial.
“Lula never participated, directly or indirectly, in any illegal act during or after his government,” a spokesman for the former president’s institute said in a statement on Thursday.“Lula never participated, directly or indirectly, in any illegal act during or after his government,” a spokesman for the former president’s institute said in a statement on Thursday.
Various confidants of the former president are already in prison on corruption charges, including José Dirceu de Oliveira e Silva, his former chief of staff. Investigators have also focused scrutiny on the business dealings of Mr. da Silva’s son Luis Cláudio Lula da Silva, who owns a sports marketing company and who is suspected of receiving illegal payments in connection to a plan to reduce tax penalties for large corporations.Various confidants of the former president are already in prison on corruption charges, including José Dirceu de Oliveira e Silva, his former chief of staff. Investigators have also focused scrutiny on the business dealings of Mr. da Silva’s son Luis Cláudio Lula da Silva, who owns a sports marketing company and who is suspected of receiving illegal payments in connection to a plan to reduce tax penalties for large corporations.
Supporters of Mr. da Silva have been quick to point out that almost no corner of Brazil’s political establishment has been untarnished by corruption scandals in recent months.Supporters of Mr. da Silva have been quick to point out that almost no corner of Brazil’s political establishment has been untarnished by corruption scandals in recent months.
Another former president, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, is facing an investigation into payments made to his former mistress, Mirian Dutra, and into their ties to a company that operated a chain of airport duty-free shops. Mr. Cardoso has acknowledged providing financial support for Ms. Dutra but has denied that the violated any laws in doing so.Another former president, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, is facing an investigation into payments made to his former mistress, Mirian Dutra, and into their ties to a company that operated a chain of airport duty-free shops. Mr. Cardoso has acknowledged providing financial support for Ms. Dutra but has denied that the violated any laws in doing so.
Eduardo Cunha, the conservative speaker of Brazil’s lower house of Congress, is also facing a trial at the Supreme Court on charge of pocketing millions of dollars of bribes in the Petrobras scheme. He has refused to step down, heightening the sense of gridlock in Brasília as scandals simultaneously shake various governing institutions. Eduardo Cunha, the conservative speaker of Brazil’s lower house of Congress, is also facing a trial at the Supreme Court on a charge of pocketing millions of dollars of bribes in the Petrobras scheme. He has refused to step down, heightening the sense of gridlock in Brasília as scandals simultaneously shake various governing institutions.