Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has appointed her predecessor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as chief of staff.
Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sworn in Thursday morning as the chief of staff to the current head of state Dilma Rousseff.
The inaugural event took place at the Presidential Palace in Brasilia, where Workers’ Party lawmakers embraced the return of their party’s founder to the halls of power. “My government will be in a better position to put Brazil back on track with Lula at my side,” President Rousseff stated in a Press conference on Thursday.
The two politicians have been close for decades. Lula was Ms Rousseff’s political mentor and she was his hand-picked successor. “Lula and I have always been close, and I am proud to have worked as the Chief-of-Staff during the Lula administration,” Rousseff added.
Lula’s appointment comes after federal Judge Sergio Moro was given jurisdiction to rule over money laundering charges presented against the former president. Opposition lawmakers claim the appointment of Lula to the Cabinet is meant to shield Lula from prosecution. Under Brazilian law, only the Supreme Court can order the investigation, imprisonment or trial of a government minister.
Lula’s new job comes as momentum is gathering behind efforts to impeach Rousseff over her alleged role in manipulating government accounts. Rousseff has consistently denied any wrongdoing and argues that the allegations are politically motivated and aimed at subverting democracy.
Hundreds of Brazilian intellectuals, academics and activists gathered at an event in Sao Paulo on Thursday echoing similar claims, in which they denounced the ongoing political and judiciary maneuvers initiated by political opposition lawmakers in parliament. During the event, supporters of the ruling Workers’ Party leadership published a document, “Forum 21: Manifesto in Defense of Legality,” which warns that the recent impeachment efforts represent an attempt “to destroy Brazilian democracy” and undermine the rule of law.
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