Brazil’s Ex-Leader, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Is Held for Questioning

[Marksman_91]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/05/world/americas/brazil-raid-luiz-incio-lula-da-silva.html

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

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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.

It's almost like 2016 represents the collapse of the leftist movement that started with Chavez in Latin America.

[Bacchus4.0]

1. just posted that too on LBN

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-corruption-lula-idUSKCN0W60Z6

Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was detained for questioning on Friday in a federal investigation of a bribery and money laundering scheme that police said had financed campaigns and expenses of the ruling Workers Party.

His detention was the highest profile arrest in a sweeping corruption investigation that has ensnared powerful lawmakers and business executives in Latin America's biggest economy.

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Police, who arrested Lula at his home in Sao Bernardo do Campo on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, said they had evidence that he received illicit benefits from kickbacks at state oil firm Petroleo Brasileiro SA in the form of payments and luxury real estate.

The evidence against Lula brought the corruption investigation closer to his protegee and successor, President Dilma Rousseff, who is fighting off impeachment over an unrelated issue and who is struggling to pull the country out of its worst economic downturn in decades.