There was a time when Brazilian ex-president Luis Ignacio Lula da Silva was considered a model for the world. He left office in 2010 with an 87% approval rating, secured the 2016 Olympics for Rio de Janiero, and was seen by the Left as a model for a “moderate” form of socialism. However, his star has now fallen to earth as a massive corruption investigation engulfs his former administration.
The situation has become so toxic that #InvestigaLulaGurgel was trending worldwide on Twitter today. The hashtag is demanding that prosecutor Roberto Gurgel investigate Lula himself in addition to those already being investigated in a scheme to funnel money from Government contracts to political parties. (Some of that money was allegedly used to bribe lawmakers.) Most of the anti-Lula tweets are in Portuguese, but we found enough in English to give you a taste.
Wanted dead or alive #InvestigaLulaGurgel
— Jonn???? (@umpaulistano) December 18, 2012
Former Pres. Luis Inacioo LULA da Silva became trillionaire during the two time term as president of Brazil. #InvestigaLulaGurgel #DomF
— Dominio Feminino (@dominiofeminino) December 18, 2012
How could a simple workman as the former pres. Lula is now one of the richest men in the world in 8 years ? #InvestigaLulaGurgel #DomF
— Dominio Feminino (@dominiofeminino) December 18, 2012
By Rosemary Noronha LULA's lover, he sent 24 million EUROS to Portugual. #InvestigaLulaGurgel #DomF #trilha
— Dominio Feminino (@dominiofeminino) December 18, 2012
Brazil: Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, the most corrupt president of all time. #InvestigaLulaGurgel #DomF #trilha
— Dominio Feminino (@dominiofeminino) December 18, 2012
Follow the money! #InvestigaLulaGurgel
— CORONELDOBLOG (@coroneldoblog) December 18, 2012
This next one we can’t quite understand, but we think we get the sentiment.
https://twitter.com/jastwt/status/280824330806505472
For those who actually want to know what it says, here’s what we got out of an online translator:
And Render it rose-colored that it is going to take smoke to the Ragamuffin. Gee he has cancer and do not be able to smoke snag it dies. Fuck you
We think something got lost in translation there, although Lula did have cancer recently and does look like a ragamuffin. But you get the idea.
It will be interesting to see how this goes, and whether it has any effect on Lula’s handpicked socialist successor, former Marxist guerilla Dilma Rousseff.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member