Lula's advisors accuse Folha of spreading pro-Bolsonaro fake news against the former president.

247 - Former President Lula's (PT) advisors released a statement this Tuesday (22) refuting false accusations made by Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) in an article published in Folha de S. Paulo against the PT member.

"Senator Flávio Bolsonaro does not express opinions but rather spreads lies and speaks of things that never happened, with baseless accusations against former President Lula," says Lula's team, which also expresses concern about Folha's actions. "Publishing such an article raises concerns about the seriousness and ethics with which the newspaper will cover this year's elections."

"There was no shortage of evidence that Lula looted Brazil," writes Flávio Bolsonaro. The Workers' Party's press office then attempts to dismantle the senator's accusations, reminding everyone that Lula was convicted without evidence and later acquitted. The text also highlights that Lula had been convicted by a judge who, according to the Supreme Federal Court (STF), was incompetent to judge him and biased, in other words, "a judge who was politically persecuting him."

Lula's team concludes the text by again expressing concern about the newspaper's actions throughout the 2022 election campaign. "The publication of an article containing lies against Lula, especially in an election year, harms public and political debate in Brazil. We regret that Senator Flávio Bolsonaro is a liar and that Folha de S. Paulo promotes his lies."

Read the full note:

"The São Paulo-based newspaper Folha de S. Paulo decided to participate, to have its own little crack, in the dissemination of fake news by the Bolsonaro family, by publishing an article in its online and print versions, in which Senator Flávio Bolsonaro does not express an opinion but rather spreads lies and talks about things that never happened, with baseless accusations against former President Lula. Publishing such an article raises serious concerns about the seriousness and ethics with which the newspaper will cover this year's elections."

There is no evidence in the proceedings against Lula that he made any illegal decisions or decisions in exchange for personal benefits, as the senator LIED. On the contrary, the proceedings contain ample evidence of the former president's innocence and that he never owned the properties in question.

The cases against the former president are so lacking in evidence that Lula's conviction was for an 'indeterminate act of office,' meaning they couldn't point to any irregular action by Lula. Lula was acquitted of charges related to Petrobras by the courts, in a decision by the 12th Federal Court of Brasília (learn more: 23 victories: case by case, the justice system recognizes Lula's innocence).

Antonio Palocci's testimony lacked evidence and was rejected even by the Lava Jato prosecutors. Messages obtained by Operation Spoofing show that Palocci agreed to coordinate testimonies against the former president with prosecutors.

Former President Lula was never convicted by the Supreme Federal Court. Folha allowed an article to be published containing such a lie from the Bolsonaro family, lending the newspaper's brand to do so.

The cases against Lula were annulled due to the judge's bias and partiality, meaning that Lula did not have a fair trial, but rather a persecution that found no evidence against him, and not due to Moro's 'vanity'. There were two fact-based judgments in the Supreme Federal Court that annulled the cases against Lula for two reasons: incompetence, meaning Lula should never have been judged in Curitiba by Moro, and partiality, meaning Lula did not have a trial by an impartial judge, but by a judge who was politically persecuting him.

Publishing an article containing lies against Lula, especially in an election year, harms public and political debate in Brazil. We regret that Senator Flávio Bolsonaro is a liar and that Folha de S. Paulo promotes his lies.

Press Office of former President Lula.

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