After some time, finally, the former president of Brazil Luiz Inacio “Lula“Da Silva returns to the Cesare Battisti affair, saying he is aware of the error of having granted asylum in his country to the Italian terrorist and apologizing to the families of his victims.
This occurred during an interview granted last Thursday to the Youtube channel “Tv Democracia”, when the former president explained what reasons led his government to take the decision to grant refuge to the former activist of the CAP (Armed Proletarians for Communism).
Cesare Battisti, now locked up behind bars in the Oristano prison, in March 2019 he had admitted their faults for four murders for which he had always proclaimed himself innocent. Reference is made to the killing of Antonio Santoro, to those of the jeweler Pierluigi Torregiani and the merchant Lino Sabbadin, and finally to that of the Digos agent Andrea Campagna. An admission of guilt received with great sorrow by the former president, according to what he declared during the interview.
“When he was arrested and confessed, I felt great frustration. Battisti has cast a bad light on a government that had an extraordinary relationship, and I still have it, with all the Italian and European left “, Lula said, as reported by “The lighthouse of Rome”. “He shouldn’t have lied to anyone who believed in him. The most important principle in politics is never to hurt a friend.”.
“Like me, all those of the Brazilian left who defended Cesare Battisti felt a great frustration. They were disappointed. For my part, I have no problem apologizing to the Italian left and to the families, because he committed the crimes and deceived many people in Brazil “, the former Brazilian president tries to say in his defense.“I don’t know if he deceived many people in France too, but I have to admit that many thought he was innocent. We made this mistake and we owe some apologies. I have no doubts. He lied to the good people here in Brazil who believed in him “.
It would have been the then Minister of Justice Tarso Genro to plead the cause of Battisti, believing in his innocence and explaining to Lula that there was no evidence against the former terrorist: “It can be torn apart in Italy, and it is innocent“Genro said then. A choice, that of denying extradition, which also had consequences in relations with Napolitano and the Italian left, who asked him in vain to send the former Pac back home.
“Lula’s apologies? Better late than never but they are unnecessary“, instead attacks Alberto Torregiani, son of the jeweler killed in 1979 and was seriously injured in turn, so much so that he lost the use of his legs. “Now I want to see what those who supported your decision are saying. Why say that today? To make the news?”, he adds, as reported by “Ansa”. “He will have his personal reasons. I am thrilled. But we come back to this story cyclically. If we don’t talk about Battisti at least every three months, I start to worry”.
“And now, what should we do? Okay, but Lula’s apologies sound a bit like the usual agreed phrases when going to a party, it’s absurd. They have no purpose, I’m blown away. Where does a statement come from? similar? What’s the point? This virus is doing damage. More than jokes, sarcasm, I can’t help “, adds Torregiani, as reported by Adnkronos. “Do we have to thank him? Did he put us through tribulations and pains for years only to know we were right? It’s demeaning”.
The words of the agent Andrea Campagna’s brother are quite different: “It’s nice that someone like him, who was president of Brazil, admits he made a wrong assessment”Maurizio said. “And this does him honor. Of course the apologies have arrived a little late, but they are pleased”.
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