Ex-Brazilian President Lula da Silva in custody for corruption after a tense showdown with own supporters
  • 6 years ago
Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is in police custody on charges of corruption, becoming Brazil's first current or former leader to be incarcerated.
He gave himself up to police on Saturday after days of intense protests from his supporters.
Lula da Silva has denied charges of money laundering and bribery and said he was being targeted by his enemies to stop him running for the presidential election in October.
The former president currently leads opinion polls, but since his conviction will likely bar him from running, October's election has now been thrown wide open.
More unrest is expected for the next few weeks, with more protests demanding his release and a pending court decision that may see its ruling against da Silva reversed.
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