On Wednesday, former President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, was convicted of money laundering and corruption. He was sentenced to nine years in prison.

At one time, Mr. Lula and his Workers’ Party were political stars leading an apparent “Pink Tide” of center-left Latin American governments, which included the late Hugo Chavez in Venezuela and Evo Morales in Bolivia. Currently, Latin American governments seem to be tilting right politically. 

We talk with Ruth Needleman about how Mr. Lula’s conviction fits into the larger picture of Brazilian politics and society. Needleman is professor emerita of labor studies at Indiana University. For decades, Needleman has researched politics and social justice issues, especially in the Americas and Global South.