500 days a political prisoner: Free Lula Now!

On Tuesday 20 August, former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio ‘Lula’ da Silva will have been a political prisoner for 500 days. The clamour for his release has not stopped, and nearly 100,000 people have signed the recently launched petition calling for the annulment of the corrupt and bogus trials that sent him to prison, despite the lack of evidence.

500 days a political prisoner: Free Lula Now!
by [ITUCCSI->https://www.youtube.com/user/ITUCCSI]
https://youtu.be/P6qZjIYiYAU

In reality, Lula was jailed to stop him standing for President against far-right extremist Jair Bolsonaro, because the polls clearly showed he would have won the election. He was jailed to prevent the people overturning the legislative coup that had removed his successor as President Dilma Rousseff. And he was jailed to prevent the continuation of the pro-poor, pro-environment policies Lula and Dilma introduced.

The UN Human Rights Committee called for Lula to be allowed to stand in the Presidential elections. But the Brazilian elite knew that they could not win at the ballot box which is why Dilma was deposed and Lula jailed.

Workers in Brazil are now paying the price, with social justice measures being rolled back, insecure employment promoted, and unions being attacked. The thuggish and corrupt Bolsonaro regime is attacking the environment, women and LGBT communities, and grovelling to Donald Trump in the USA.

The ITUC’s Brazilian affiliates are supporting a global day of action on Tuesday 20 August to draw attention to Lula’s status as a political prisoner.

Now you can take part in the campaign to #FreeLula, by: