Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2017/07/12/brazil-lula-guilty.html
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Not a happy camper.
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If you’re going to get in that much trouble for about $1.1M USD, jeesh, go bigger and get enough to become a flight risk
Context:
This seems to be a classic example of projection on the part of the current Brazilian “government”
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"Among the crimes of corruption and laundering, there is material [concurso - competition?]
Think i need more context here to give a correction. I presume the use of this word is similar as in Spanish. Concurso can mean contest/competition, but can also mean: Participation, The realization of something due to the rise of various factors, and it’s also a legal term: concurso de acreedores. Says it’s a judicial procedure to distribute the goods of a debtor to their creditors.
Edit: alternate translations from portuguese to english for Concurso:
competition, concourse, concurrence, resort
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"…has been found guilty of corruption … [although he] remains a very popular politician with widespread public support.
That’s Brazil, so I SHOULD be encouraged as far as justice in the US vis-a-vis Trump.
It’s a legal term with two words: “concurso material.” This might be best translated as “concurrent offenses.” It’s doing more than one thing, and thereby breaking more than one law at the same time. This means you can be convicted for each of the crimes, and the penalties are added up.
So:
“The crimes of corruption and money-laundering are concurrent offenses, which is why the penalties add up to nine years and six months…”
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That’s what i get for being too lazy to look up the original article haha. But thanks for getting to that 
And this is why nothing will ever change.
As long as the people put up with the corruption as long as it’s their corrupt politician, it will continue. If people don’t police their own, it will just be a constantly revolving door with the opposition.
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This is another frustrating example of dangerously selective reporting about Brazil and Latin America in the American media. What the press coverage leaves unsaid — about who is behind this or the radical rightwing and antidemocratic process that is dismantling public services at lightning speed so the only thing left is a rotten system of cronyism — really speaks volumes. It’s continuously disappointing to see so-called highbrow journalism outlets not looking at the world with a more critical eye. Lula is far from perfect but any neutral observer with basic knowledge of Brazilian politics should know there is a much bigger story here of a politically motivated, corrupt judicial system that targets Lula’s party while giving other politicians (including Temer) immunity for larger and more serious crimes.
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This process will render years and years of legal discussions at Law Schools. Too bad if you even dare discuss the major points you’ll be met with ignorance. The damage done will only be felt in 10, 20 years.
Temer was caught on ‘tape’ acknowledging corruption – and indicted, the first ever sitting President to have this honor. A major senator and former Presidential candidate (Aecio Neves) was caught asking a businessman (the same that recorded Temer) for US$ 500K ‘as a favor’. Aecio’s case has been dismissed by Congress (who had the power to accept the charges), and Temer is blatantly replacing representatives in the same Congress that will decide if his case goes to Court.
Yet, Lula was found guilty on 1.1 MM transactions that are unproven or reasonably doubtful, while the former Governor of Rio de Janeiro is in jail for US$ 100 MM proven stolen. So, as a criminal, it seems Lula is very incompetent… Or so much smarter than the rest.
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He is missing his left pinkie… must of messed up in his past at some point
Note also, the million-dollar bribe was actually all spent on refurbishing a luxury condo.
Which is NOT registered to Lula’s name, and that nobody has proved that he ever resided in.
So, extremely flimsy evidence for the existence of corruption, beyond the political necessity of preventing a left-wing government from returning to power next year.
Just like Dilma Roussef’s impeachment, whose “crime” was shuffling money from one area of the state to another area of the state… something every single administration since the revolution had done.
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To be fair: it wouldn’t really matter if the condo was actually signed off to Lula. It would be enough just to have been promised – and accepted – a condo in exchange for the Petrobras business. The judge pinned a lot of wrongdoings from parties and contractors – real ones, documented, with real jail time – on Lula’s account. To the judge, and I quote him, “there is no other explanation” for the facts. I think he needs some classes in logic.
I do believe Lula had some knowledge of the quid pro quo demanded by the parties to support him. Heck, if you ask me, I can tell that’s what happened for sure. But I know Lula wouldn’t have finished his first term had he ruptured the schemes that have been entrenched in the Brazilian society for so many decades. It is very important to understand that Brazil is still a kind of colony, with the chunk of the country shared by a few families. This will sound like a blessing for corruption, but his strategy seems right: to show nothing would be ruptured, as long as he was able to implement some key measures – and hope for a gradual change that would empower the institutions. One of Lula’s first acts in power was to create the legal framework that led to all you can see today.
And it is worth mentioning that 13 years later, when Dilma was being pressured (by those who are now on the jail line) to intervene in the Car Wash investigation, she did nothing of sorts: no changes in heads of the Federal Police, no pressure on the judge. She did publicly criticize the methods of investigation, but let it run wild. That’s why she was impeached.
Don’t get me wrong: the Car Wash investigation has bore great fruits and it is pleasant to see some characters in jail. But it is important that the investigation be conducted according to the law, otherwise they will be freed in upper courts – as it has been the case.
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He was a metalworker and lost his pinkie on a work-related accident.
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No left-handed pinky swears for him.
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Oh he did! This is just his first conviction. He has many more pending cases.
To be really sucint, Lula is victim of lawfare.
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Temer just successfully maneuvered to have the ethics commission report rejected. Case will still go to vote on the assembly. But with about 200 congresspeople relying on Temer as the last barrier between them and the courts, having Temer convicted will be very hard. (We are talking about a President with 5% approval being able to win on the Congress. What a shame.)
Sorry, this will be my last comment on the subject!
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