File it under “incredible but true”: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is in jail.
The former Brazilian president – known simply as Lula – ended a standoff this weekend and gave himself up to the authorities of a state whose powers he once wielded.
He now begins a 12-year prison term on bribery charges. His supporters are calling it an outrage. His opponents are calling it a triumph. It is neither. Above all, this is a sad epilogue – one that mirrors and punctuates the tragic arc that Brazil’s fortunes have taken in recent years.
A decade ago, Brazil was riding high. It had been awarded the 2014 World Cup and would soon land the 2016 Summer Olympics. Soaring oil prices helped fuel a rise that made it the B in the BRIC group of emerging economies (along Russia, India and China).
Most importantly, it had Lula. The former union leader stormed to the presidency in 2002 by promising to tackle Brazil’s noxious inequality; his victory alone counted as progress in that direction.
Over two four-year terms, Lula raised the minimum wage, offered cash grants to the poor and imposed affirmative action on public university admissions. During his time in office, about 30 million Brazilians were pulled out of poverty.
But these achievements were marred by widespread graft. Last year, Lula was convicted of accepting an apartment from a construction company in exchange for help securing government work. He has also been accused of presiding over a vast kickback scheme by members of his Workers’ Party.
Of course, the corruption in Brazilian politics was not confined to the left. The widespread rot is part of the curse that seems to have befallen the country. Since its apotheosis a decade ago, oil prices cratered, the Olympics proved to be a boondoggle, the economy entered a punishing recession and state finances spiraled.
It has been awful to watch. Many of Brazil’s misfortunes have been of its own making. But there is no schadenfreude in watching the fall from grace of South America’s most populous country, once a symbol of democratic and economic hope in the region.
Lula’s imprisonment is an acute reminder of Brazil’s recent glory days – and of how remote they now seem.