Lula is holed up in steelworkers union building in Sao Paulo, surrounded by hundreds of fervent supportersBrazil’s former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva defied a judge’s order to turn himself in to police on Friday and start serving a 12-year prison sentence for bribery that would likely end his hopes of regaining the presidency. Lula remained holed up inside the headquarters of a steelworkers union in metropolitan Sao Paulo, surrounded by hundreds of fervent supporters, creating a standoff expected to stretch into the weekend. Talks between Lula’s aides and federal police to arrange his surrender were ongoing on Friday evening, according to two people familiar with the matter. Federal police in Sao Paulo declined to say if they would attempt to forcibly take the former president into custody, a move that could trigger intense clashes with his supporters. The once wildly popular president leads opinion polls for Brazil’s election in October and maintains the conviction is designed to keep him off the ballot.

Source: The Guardian April 06, 2018 15:41 UTC