When Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva walked out of the Federal Police headquarters in Curitiba, Brazil, on November 8, 2019, hundreds of supporters were waiting for him.
Many had been there, on and off, for much of the 580 days he spent behind bars, keeping vigil outside the building and calling out “good morning,” “good afternoon” and “good night” as they defended his innocence and demanded his freedom.
Lula emerged into the crowd and did what he had done best throughout his political life: he gave a speech. “They didn’t imprison a man,” he declared. “They tried to kill an idea. But you can’t kill an idea.”
