In a letter, Lula criticizes Josias for offending Marisa's memory.

247 - Former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva released an open letter this Friday, the 29th, to journalist Josias de Souza of UOL, refuting criticisms he has been receiving from the journalist. 

Through his press office, Lula says that Josias has made statements full of "disrespect and lies" against the memory of former first lady Marisa Letícia. 

"Lula never accused or used his wife as an 'alibi'. Those who unjustly accused his wife were the Lava Jato prosecutors led by Deltan Dallagnol, who did so in senseless cases about paddle boats and properties that never belonged to the Lula family, in an attempt to target the former president. Neither Lula nor Dona Marisa committed any crime. What was wrong was the disclosure of the first lady's private telephone conversations for political and media purposes," the letter says. 

Read the letter in its entirety below:

Letter to journalist Josias de Souza

You have made statements that oscillate between irony and vulgarity, full of disrespect and lies against the memory of the former First Lady, Dona Marisa Letícia. The objective has been the same for some years now: to gain professional prominence in a biased press—the same press that supported a parliamentary coup rejected by the population—and to politically persecute former President Lula, perhaps out of fear and dissatisfaction with his lead in the polls. But even in this biased journalism, some ethical and human limits would be important, for example, not disrespecting with lies people who have already passed away.

Lula never accused or used his wife as an "alibi." Those who unjustly accused his wife were the Lava Jato prosecutors, led by Deltan Dallagnol, who did so in nonsensical cases about paddleboats and properties that never belonged to the Lula family, in an attempt to target the former president. Neither Lula nor Dona Marisa committed any crime. What was wrong was the disclosure of the first lady's private phone conversations for political and media purposes.

The former president is very proud of Dona Marisa, of the support she gave him so that he could fight for Brazil, being both father and mother to his children at the same time and taking care of the family finances since his days in the union movement.

This is the truth of the matter. And it has been this way for a long time, as evidenced by a 2008 statement by Lula recorded in the book "Lula Dictionary" by the head of journalism at Globo, Ali Kamel, which he could forward to his subordinates in Curitiba, who edit unbalanced reports on the Lava Jato proceedings against Lula for the network's news programs. Kamel could also give his book as a gift to other employees of the Organizations, such as Cristiana Lobo and Thais Heredia, who have already disrespected Dona Marisa within Globo's frenzy against Lula.

In his speech on February 19, 2008, in Cachoeiro do Itapemirim, recorded in the first paragraph on page 445 of the book, Lula says that Marisa has been managing the couple's money "since 1975." This is the truth of the matter. And facts, in theory, should matter more to journalists than fallacious slander. But the journalist must find it better to serve fallacious slander against Lula than facts to his readers.

Press office of former President Lula