A judge of the Supreme Court of Brazil on Monday March 8 ordered the overturning of all convictions of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for corruption, making him potentially eligible to face Jair Bolsonaro in the presidential election of 2022 .
This decision, which had the effect of a bomb in Brazil, was taken by Judge Edson Fachin. The latter considered that the court of Curitiba (south), which had convicted Lula in four trials, was not “Not competent” to judge these cases. These will now be tried in a federal court in Brasilia. Pending these judgments, the former left-wing president (2003-2010) is restored to his political rights.
Brazil’s attorney general has said he will appeal the ruling.
Lula, 75, was President of Brazil between 2003 and 2011 before being sentenced in 2018 after a controversial corruption trial in the “Lava Jato” case (express washing). He was released at the end of 2019 by collegial decision of the Supreme Court but banned from election. At the time he was imprisoned, the former head of state was given the polls favorite for the October 2018 presidential election.
Two and a half years later, in a recent poll, Lula appears to be the only one capable of defeating President Jair Bolsonaro in the next election in 2022: 50% of those questioned said they were ready to vote for him, against 44% for the current president.
