Gentili has a PhD in Education, a Master’s Degree in Social Sciences and was born in Argentina, but has been living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for over 20 years. He has published several analyses of left-wing and progressive governments of the region, working together with social movements and organizations of Latin America.

In July 2017, after Lula´s conviction, he wrote the memorable article “Millions of Lulas”, whose words gained a new meaning on Saturday, April 7th, when Lula gave his last speech in Sao Bernardo do Campo, before travelling to Curitiba to surrender to the Federal Police and comply with the detention order issued by judge Sérgio Moro.

RWR talked to Gentili to analyze these first days of Lula´s incarceration and the future in Brazil in light of the October elections and beyond.

CLACSO´s Executive Secretary stated that “this is a complex situation” with the left-wing candidates, popular mobilizations, and the atmosphere of repression and harassment against political figures. “A pedagogy of violence is used upon the youth. The message to them is fear and hopelessness”. The political violence is taken to extremes, such as with the murder of Marielle Franco and Anderson Gomes on March 14th, and once again on April 8th, with the murder of Alexandre Pereira, community leader and adviser of councilmember Marcello Siciliano (PHS). Pereira had testified a few days earlier as a witness in the murder of Franco.

Gentili also said that judge Moro has a “selective view of administration of justice, which means that behind his decisions there is a clear political intent to remove Lula from the electoral race, and to give power to those who would never win an election with the vote of the people”. “There are at least 17 other people in the same situation as Lula, with convictions prior to Lula´s, and Moro still has not sent them to prison, because they are linked to the historical political opposition to the Workers´ Party”.

Lula is “dangerous” for those who hold power because he “represents an horizon of inclusion, of rights. He represents the opportunity for the forgotten, the excluded, to have more than one meal per day, for them to have water, electricity, for them to trust, believe, mobilize, fight and demand a more just country, trusting that democracy is the path to follow to achieve social justice”.