Ex-President Lula Asks Union Workers to Put Pressure on Operation Lava Jato

03/24/2016 - 10h35

This Wednesday (23), former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said he is disgusted by the treatment he is receiving from the press and agents responsible for Operation Lava Jato.

At an event in São Paulo organized by union workers, he said, in a long speech, that he was angered when a prosecutor accused his wife, Marisa Letícia, of money laundering.

In the prosecution's investigations, the former president is suspected of having received unfair advantages, by benefitting from the crimes committed through Petrobras. Due to a ruling made by Supreme Court Judge Teori Zavascki, the investigations are now being handled by the STF (Supreme Court).

This Wednesday (23), Lula asked union workers who showed up to the event at Casa do Portugal to exert pressure on the agents of the Lava Jato taskforce over the results of the operation.

In a lengthy speech, he repeated his promise to travel through Brazil to speak against the president's impeachment. "Those who think I have to be a minister to be able to help Dilma are fooling themselves", he said.

Lula also referred to the divisiveness the country is experiencing as "bullshit" and said that "time will tell who is right." "If you can find someone more honest than me, I'll walk away from public life", he added.

Lula received support from union workers for the Chief of Staff appointment. After hearing criticism on his economic policies, he said he is aware of the crisis and acknowledged that: "It's going to take a long time for the country to go through this again".

Translated by SUGHEY RAMIREZ

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	Eduardo Knapp/Folhapress
	At an event in São Paulo Lula said that he was angered when a prosecutor accused his wife of money laundering