Lula marks 11th anniversary of Lava Jato with criticism of persecution and abuses by the operation

247 – On the 11th anniversary of the now-defunct Operation Lava Jato, this Monday (17), President Lula praised the role of “combative advocacy,” referring to the legal cases in which he was acquitted after what he described as persecution by the so-called “Republic of Curitiba.”

The president also reiterated that he suffered from "abuse of power" and accused Lava Jato prosecutors of distorting the law in their actions.

"Thanks to the work of combative advocacy, I was able to see my innocence prevail against the abuse of power perpetrated by a group that wanted to take over Justice and the Law for themselves," Lula said at the inauguration ceremony of the newly elected members of the Federal Council of the Brazilian Bar Association (CFOAB), according to Folha de São Paulo. The event marks the beginning of Beto Simonetti's second term as head of the OAB.

This Monday marks 11 years since the beginning of Operation Lava Jato, which led to Lula's political imprisonment, later annulled, paving the way for his return to the presidency and the Lula 3 government.