Brasilia - Brazil is today witnessing a deliberate initiative by the Judicial Power to destroy former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and everything that he represents for democracy and the policies to reduce social inequality.

The statement was made by the renowned Brazilian theologian Leonardo Boff to the website Brasil de Fato, after Federal Judge Gabriela Hardt sentenced the former president, who is serving time for other reasons, to 12 years and 11 months in prison, for considering that he had benefited from the repair of a country house in Atibaia, in Sao Paulo.

Hardt accepted the evidence produced by the Federal Public Ministry, according to which Lula had engaged consciously in a criminal scheme of money laundering and corruption that involves the state-owned company Petrobras and contractors. The defense attorneys denied those accusations.

In that regard, Boff assures that he perceives 'a political aspect. The intention of those in power to condemn Lula and also to condemn the project of nation that he represents'.

An ideal 'of inclusion to reduce great social injustice, of autonomy against globalized progress without being subjected to other powers,' Boff noted.

The Brazilian writer insists that the former workers leader is the target of political persecution by 'those 1,700 opulent and very rich people who still control most of the national GDP (Gross Domestic Product). The project of social change is being denied and Lula is unjustly held in prison.'

About the possible response from civil society to this process, Boff paraphrases on of the heroes of the Mexican Revolution (Emiliano Zapata): 'If the Government does not care about the people, the people should not give peace to that Government.'

We need to fight that government. In the streets, in the protests, in the several juridical recourses, in international courts, and to denounce it to the world, the philosopher pointed out.

He underlines that Brazil is living 'a post-democratic State. In a lawless State. It is authoritarian and shoots the Constitution and the laws. They sentence without evidence. The important thing is to sentence.'

Boff explains that justice is at the service of that other plan: 'the alignment with the empire, the big world conglomerates, which control the economy and we are lesser stakeholders, aggregated, without autonomy, without a project that includes the poor.'