The truth has prevailed, Mr. President!

By Pablo Nacer

Dear President,

As I write this letter to you (I thought of writing "sir," but I imagine you prefer "you"), I am wearing a red t-shirt with your face printed in white, the words "Free Lula" underneath, and a star between the words "Lula" and "Free."

But I confess that I haven't always carried it in my heart with the pride that I carry it now.

Born into a typical middle-class family in São Paulo, having always studied in private schools, lived in, let's say, well-equipped condominiums, and with quite conservative family roots, unfortunately, members of the PSDB party and even worse figures resonated much more in my family and social circle than left-wing parties and leaders.

But that didn't stop me from getting goosebumps, getting emotional, and unconsciously starting to repeat, "It's the people in power, it's the people in power," when I watched you and Dona Marisa on TV crossing the Esplanade in an open car, dragging that frenzied crowd along, without having any idea of ​​the magnitude of what it would mean.

Well, years passed, I had a very rich experience with the most traditional lineage of the Xavante people, there in Mato Grosso, where some very important seeds were planted in my life. I lived for a few years in Australia, where the condition of being an immigrant and the proximity to refugees helped those seeds flourish. And, when I met the woman of my life in a Sydney pub in 2011, the daughter of a former member of the Communist Party and a card-carrying member of the Workers' Party who drove from Rio de Janeiro to Brasília on New Year's Eve 2002/03, where they opened a bottle of sparkling wine at midnight at the gates of Granja do Torto to celebrate your victory and managed to greet you when you left the house, my life began to change. And to make sense.

Through the books I devoured by my father-in-law, the late Luiz Fernando Ribeiro de Almeida, one of the most incredible minds I've ever known, and through our conversations, much of the restlessness in my life, largely sparked by the seeds planted by the Xavante experience, by my condition as an immigrant in Australia, and, of course, by the centuries-old reality of Brazil and much of the planet, began to be verbalized through two powerful words: social justice.

These are words that were repeated at my father-in-law's funeral in 2015, but which allowed me to understand not only the magnitude of his governments, but also his place in the history of Brazil and the world. Know one thing: besides the pettiness of our elite, the reason why many of the policies you implemented were so fiercely opposed is that they were far ahead of their time. Just to mention the most attacked one – Bolsa Família – the future of humanity depends on universal basic income.

But, going back, in 2016 I had the privilege of living in Brasília at that crucial moment, a year of practical political lessons, in the streets. Already a Dilma voter, I was at all the demonstrations in defense of the government, including that fateful Thursday of unbearable heat when you took over the Civil House, but were soon prevented from doing so. I am certain that you could have saved the president's mandate. The problem is that they could too, and, as you rightly said, the Supreme Court was cowardly. On the day Dilma left the Planalto Palace, another morning of unbearable heat in Brasília, and when you arrived unexpectedly amidst the crowd gathered in front of the Palace for a last gasp of republicanism, I was deeply moved when I was able to touch you for the first time.

Back in São Paulo, I started working at Brasil 247 in March of this year, a week after your interview on the channel. We almost met. Unfortunately, less than a month later, those scoundrels, scoundrels, scoundrels deprived you of your freedom, leading me to an extreme action: rooting for Corinthians.

That's true, Mr. President. I'm a São Paulo fan and I publicly confessed in an article on our 247 website that I rooted for Corinthians because of you. The article begins like this:

Yesterday, Sunday, while we were having lunch, some fireworks went off nearby and a friend from out of town immediately asked if it was to celebrate Lula's arrest. I replied that it probably wasn't, that it must be because of the Paulista Championship final. Is it today? Is São Paulo playing? Unfortunately, we're out. And who's playing? Palmeiras vs. Corinthians. Who are you going to root for?

A question like that, rationally speaking, makes absolutely no sense to a São Paulo fan. On any other Sunday, I wouldn't have answered it for anyone. But yesterday was different.

On Saturday I was in São Bernardo do Campo, at the ABC Metalworkers Union, and I experienced the catharsis provided by the mass in honor of Dona Marisa and by Lula's speech. Thousands of people were outraged, hundreds were crying, from young to old, "Don't give up," "Resist," the crowd pleaded.

And it ends like this:

On Sunday, knowing that Lula's request to watch his beloved team's final in solitary confinement had been accepted, I didn't hesitate to answer my friend from abroad: I'll be rooting for Corinthians. For Lula. He needs this joy today. And, knowing the star power of both, as soon as Rodriguinho opened the scoring in the first play of the game after a beautiful move by Mateus Vital on the left, I was certain that whatever happened, that afternoon would belong to Corinthians. And to Lula. It was a tough match, it was controversial, agonizing, historic and, in the end, resounding, just like Luiz Inácio's trajectory. Champion.

"From now on, all of you will become Lula and will walk around this country doing what you have to do, and that's every day! Every single day!"

I am Lula.

Mr. President, however much you are an idea and however much we are your arms and legs out here, you are still flesh and blood and are unjustly and politically imprisoned by one of the most deplorable elites to ever walk this planet. Every Friday, when I go home, I remember the words of my colleague Paulo Pimenta, who, when he went to 247 on a Friday night, said that the worst moments of his week were about to begin, as the next two days would be without visitors. Since then, there hasn't been a Friday that I don't think of you with deep sorrow in my heart when I leave the office.

I no longer believe in the country's justice system, but I have great faith in the star between the words "Free Lula" on my t-shirt, the star of the PT (Workers' Party), the star of so many revolutions, dreams and hopes, and above all, the star of Luiz Inácio da Silva, the poor child from Caetés who became the 35th president of Brazil, the greatest of them all.

I, personally, and all of us at 247, are on the front lines of its defense in the trenches of communication. I would like to make a special mention of our colleague Aloizio Mercadante, who is constantly with us.

The truth will prevail, Mr. President!

A warm hug, Pablo Nacer