Former Brazilian President Lula thanked Pope Francis, the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo and other personalities abroad for their support during his legal setbacks, after the annulment of his convictions overturned for a procedural flaw. .
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"I thank our dear Pope Francis, who had the courage to receive me at the Vatican, for a long conversation, not on matters concerning me, but on the fight against inequalities"
declared Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, during his first speech after the court ruling that made him eligible again to face Jair Bolsonaro in the 2022 presidential election. Lula, 75, had met the Sovereign Pontiff in February 2020, three months after his release from prison.
Three weeks later, he went to Paris, where Anne Hidalgo had made him honorary citizen of the French capital, in the midst of the municipal campaign, which had earned the city council many criticisms from his opponents. .
“She had the courage to receive me and told me that solidarity was worth more than the election […] She paid tribute to me and she was re-elected,”
said the former metal worker.
Tuesday, Anne Hidalgo welcomed on Twitter the annulment of Lula's convictions,
"beautiful news"
after
"five years of persecution".
Lula also thanked other left-wing figures for their support, such as Argentine President Alberto Fernandez, US Senator Bernie Sanders or former Bolivian President Evo Morales.
The former head of state (2003-2010) had been imprisoned for a year and a half for corruption, before being released in November 2019, thanks to a judgment of the Supreme Court which had determined that all convicted should have the right to remain at liberty until all remedies have been exhausted.
Monday, a magistrate of the same high court quashed all his convictions, arguing that the court which had pronounced them was
"not competent"
to judge these cases.