POLITICS & HISTORY
leaders should be voted in by a moderate to strong majority of the population. Of course, slim majorities during elections can happen in any democratic nation, but the fact during this Brazilian election has added to the stress placed on Brazil’s democracy when it combines with the following factors. Secondly, it could be argued Lula and PT’s corruption scandals have caused Brazilian citizens much concern and has led to issues that raise questions about Brazil’s democracy. Lula and many members of his party were accused of corruption following Operation Lava Jato, an anti-corruption investigation led by a branch of Brazil’s Federal Police in 2014. Lula and the Workers Party among many other business leaders and politicians was found to be involved in many kickback and corruption schemes, and Lula was consequently imprisoned in April 2018 with a 12-year
sentence for corruption and money laundering charges. In November 2019 Lula was released from Prison after a Supreme Court ruling. This ruling allowed Lula to leave prison and run for president. Some argue that this was a political manoeuvre to allow him to run for president, yet others argue Lula’s trial was fraught with judicial missteps. Whether Lula should be in prison or not is an extremely controversial topic in Brazil, with many Brazilians arguing for and against his imprisonment. Many Brazilians argue that politicians convicted and imprisoned for corruption shouldn’t be able to run for president. It is for this reason that many Brazilians, especially Bolsonaro supporters, are still extremely sceptical of Lula and PT, and have come to loathe him and his party for the corruption they committed. This distrust in politicians, especially one running for president, can consequently undermine faith in Brazil’s democracy.
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