Statement of the Workers’ Party National Board

Two years after the coup that deposed the legitimate president Dilma Rousseff, Brazil is experiencing a spiral of political violence, obscurantism and aggression against fundamental rights.

The censorship of the arts, stimulated by the most retrograde sectors, the police, prosecutors and judges’ persecution against universities, which lead to the death of Rector Luiz Cancelier, and the attacks on Lula’s caravan in the south of the country are examples of this atmosphere of hatred.

With enormous international repercussions, we saw the murder of Marielle and Anderson, who dramatically exposed daily violence against women, black people and LGBTs, alongside crimes against peasants and indigenous people. Investigations into the death of Marielle and Anderson, begun with fanfare, have been dragging on for over a month with nothing to clarify.

On April 7, violence turned against former President Lula, arrested by illegal, unconstitutional and unjust decree of Sergio Moro.

Through his leadership in Latin America and the international recognition of his government, the struggle against hunger and poverty, Lula’s imprisonment had a negative impact around the world and aroused great gestures of solidarity.

The freedom of former President Lula became a central issue for the resumption of the democratic process in Brazil.

Lula was condemned without evidence, by partial judges, who could not even point out the crime he did not commit. TV Globo and all the media that supported the coup of 2016 massacred him. The media censored his defense.

It is not possible to speak about justice in Brazil until the review and annulment of Lula’s lawsuit, due to the illegalities, arbitrariness, manipulation and lack of defense that the former president was a victim in the first and second instances.

In addition, we cannot talk about Democracy in Brazil until the country’s greatest popular leader remains incarcerated as a political prisoner, kept in isolation, in violation of the law, and without being able to appeal in freedom of the unjust sentence, as it is the right of every citizen.

The main task of the Workers’ Party at this moment is to defend Lula’s innocence, fight for his freedom and assert the right of the Brazilian people to vote for their greatest leader in the October presidential elections.

Even after his incarceration, Lula remains favorite to win the election, according to all polls, firing ahead of the other candidates.

Lula is our candidate and the people’s candidate. It is the great hope of the country to overcome the political, economic and social crisis, and to regain confidence in the future.

It is necessary to overcome media censorship, showing to the population the defense of Lula and denouncing the campaign of lies that he was victim in this process.

In order to fulfill our historic task, we must concentrate our energies and capacity to articulate with the left forces and the popular and democratic sectors – such as Popular Brazil Front, Front of the Fearless People and Democratic Front, recently created -, as Lula’s illegal imprisonment confronts the rule of law and deepens the rupture of the national political-democratic pact of 1988.

We must show in the streets the people’s discontent with the injustice committed against Lula and the curtailment of the political rights of an entire nation.

Lula’s candidacy is the response of the majority of the Brazilian people to the coup government, which removes workers’ rights, dismantles social programs, and delivers national patrimony and our sovereignty to foreign private interests.

Lula is candidate to reverse the dismantling of public policies, deepened through Constitutional Amendment 95, which froze public investments, including health and education, for 20 years. To resume and strengthen programs aimed at women, “quilombolas”, indigenous peoples, family agriculture and agrarian reform. To revoke labor reform and defend Social Security.

Lula is candidate to block the sale of public assets and the dismantling of our strategic companies Petrobrás, Eletrobrás, Banco do Brasil etc. To prevent the continuous delivering of the pre-salt to foreign oil companies.

The future of democracy in Brazil depends on the holding of free elections in October, with the participation of Lula and all political forces in the country.

At this scenario, the Workers’ Party National Board, meeting in Curitiba, city of Lula’s illegal incarceration, welcome the militancy that has engaged in the defense of our greatest leader, thank the solidarity of national and international personalities, and RESOLVES to:

1. Strengthen the recently launched National Front for the Defense of Democracy, Rights and Sovereignty, in articulation with left-wing parties, social movements, trade unions, cultural representatives, and popular and democratic forces.

2. Strengthen the democratic struggle for the full restoration of the rule of law, constitutional guarantees and social rights and achievements, in broad articulation with political and social forces.

3. Strengthen the denunciation of the coup and Lula’s illegal imprisonment in the global media, encouraging international campaigns for “Lula Free”.

4. Reaffirm the candidacy of Lula for the Presidency of the Republic, as decided by the National Board on 15-16 December 2017.

5. Convene for July 28 the PT National Meeting that will formally nominate Lula candidate for president.

6. Register the candidacy at the Electoral Court on August 15, as determined by law.

7. Present to the country, in the coming weeks, the guidelines of Lula government program.

8. Start the pre-campaign “Lula President” with actions of communication in the streets, social networks and press, and with a calendar of pre-launches of his candidacy “Lula President” in all the states of the country.

9. Advance the political-electoral debate in the states, in order to articulate Lula’s pre-campaign with the launching of state candidates, for governor, senators, state and federal representatives.

10. Convene and organize in May, together with social movements, popular and democratic forces, two big mass acts in defense of “Lula Free”, in the Northeast and in São Paulo.

11. Strengthen the camp and the vigil “Lula Free” in Curitiba, as a reference point of solidarity with Lula and resistance against the discretion that keeps him politically imprisoned.

12. Boost the campaign of donations for the Fund of Financing of the Camp and Vigil “Lula Livre”.

13. Establish in Brasília, next to the Federal Supreme Court, the Tent of Democracy, with a vigil and a permanent schedule of debates, public lectures, exhibitions and cultural presentations on the subject of democracy in Brazil.

14. Expand the creation of “Lula Free” Popular Committees throughout the country, in order to dialogue with people, dismantle the legal farce and mobilize for an agenda of acts and debates, inviting our candidates and all those who want to join our cause.

15. Produce and print the weekly bulletin “Lula Livre”, and distribute it in pamphleteering by PT regional and municipal offices, and “Lula Free” committees in the country.

16. Encourage people to write letters for Lula, as one of the tasks of the Popular Committees.

17. Create the SOS Militant, to guarantee legal support to all Lula and PT supporters attacked or threatened for defending our cause.

18. Support and participate in the broad and unified national May Day act in Curitiba, besides events in all the states.

19. Launch the national campaign of affiliation with the theme “I am Lula, I am PT”.

LULA INOCENT!
LULA FREE!
LULA PRESIDENT!

Workers’ Party Nacional Board

Curitiba, 23 April 2018.