Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has called on his followers on Twitter not to "give ammunition" to former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva whom he referred to as a 'scoundrel'.
"Lovers of freedom and goodness, we are a majority. We cannot make mistakes. [...]Do not give ammunition to the scoundrel, who is momentarily free but guilty," the Twitter post read.
Amantes da liberdade e do bem, somos a maioria. Não podemos cometer erros. Sem um norte e um comando, mesmo a melhor tropa, se torna num bando que atira para todos os lados, inclusive nos amigos. Não dê munição ao canalha, que momentaneamente está livre, mas carregado de culpa. pic.twitter.com/NSMjtytuDO
— Jair M. Bolsonaro (@jairbolsonaro) November 9, 2019
Bolsonaro's tweet comes in the wake of the release from prison of the former president of Brazil, Lula Da Silva.
Lula's Imprisonment
Lula was put behind bars in April 2018, convicted of corruption and money laundering. Lula was initially handed a 12-year sentence. However, the courts reduced his sentence to eight years and 10 months in April.
Lula was Brazil's president from 2003 to 2010 and had been among the favourites for the 2018 presidential election. His conviction presently bars him from running for political office.