The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) joins the global progressive movement in celebrating the annulment of a series of criminal convictions and the restoration of political rights against leftist icon, former President and leader of the Workers Party of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. His freedom is a victory against the abuse of state power to settle partisan political interests. Lula was President of Latin America's largest economy for two terms, between 2003 and 2011, and oversaw a historical period of commodity-fuelled growth and poverty reduction. The Workers' Party (PT) politician, who is now 75, had hoped to seek a third term in 2018 but was side-lined after being jailed on disputed corruption charges, paving the way for Bolsonaro's landslide victory.