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Lula denies knowing lobbyist pictured with him, despite social media photos
🇧🇷 Brazil /Culture & Society

Lula denies knowing lobbyist pictured with him, despite social media photos

From Estadão · () Portuguese

Translated from Portuguese and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • President Lula stated he does not know lobbyist Roberta Luchsinger, a friend of his son Fábio Luís, despite photos showing them together.
  • Luchsinger has posted multiple photos with Lula, including at events in 2022 and 2023, and has praised him as the 'best president'.
  • Luchsinger and Fábio Luís are reportedly under investigation for influence peddling at the Supreme Federal Court.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva asserted during a televised interview that he does not know lobbyist Roberta Luchsinger, describing her as someone who has never been close to him. Luchsinger is known to be a friend of Lula's son, Fábio Luís, often referred to as Lulinha.

I don't know this girl. She has never been close to me. Scoundrels are the same everywhere in the world.

— Luiz Inácio Lula da SilvaResponding to questions about his relationship with lobbyist Roberta Luchsinger.

However, Luchsinger's social media profiles present a different narrative, featuring several photographs of her with the president. One picture, posted in June 2023, shows Lula alongside Luchsinger and Daniela Teixeira, who later became a minister at the Superior Court of Justice (STJ). Minister Teixeira clarified that this photo was taken in 2022 at a dinner organized by left-wing lawyers to honor Lula during his presidential campaign.

The record actually occurred in 2022 at a dinner organized by the group Prerrogativas, which brings together left-wing lawyers, in honor of the PT member, then a candidate for a third term.

— Daniela TeixeiraClarifying the context of a photo with Lula and Roberta Luchsinger.

Luchsinger and Fábio Luís are reportedly subjects of three influence peddling investigations at Brazil's Supreme Federal Court (STF). Despite Lula's claims of not knowing her, Luchsinger has publicly expressed strong support for the president. In October 2023, she posted a photo with Lula, calling him "the best president this country has ever had" and wishing him health and prosperity.

Today is the day of the best president this country has ever had, today is the day to congratulate @lulaoficial! Much health, love, joy, light, prosperity and peace so that he continues to take care of our country! Long live Lula!!!

— Roberta LuchsingerPraising President Lula on social media.

Further posts from November 2022, after Lula's election victory, show Luchsinger with the president, accompanied by captions like "#tbt of today is with the best president this country has ever had and will have again!" These images and Luchsinger's public statements contrast sharply with Lula's assertion of not knowing her.

#tbt of today is with the best president this country has ever had and will have again!

— Roberta LuchsingerPosting a throwback photo with President Lula.
About this summary

Originally published by Estadão in Portuguese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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