Brasilia, Mar 8 (Prensa Latina) Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva calls Friday on his fellow countrymen to raise their heads, to resist because the only struggle lost is the one that is never done.

Neudicleia de Oliveira, leader of the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB) and member of the Free Lula Vigil, said so after visiting the former president at the Federal Police headquarters in Curitiba, Parana.

The visit marked Lula's first meeting with a member of the Vigil who has been resisting in defense of his freedom since April 7.

De Oliveira acknowledged that although he recently lost one of his six grandchildren, the former worker leader does not claim to be 'a sad man, but indignant at an injustice that affects not only himself, but the Brazilian people. He is very upset, but not discouraged.

As he came out at the funeral of his grandson Arthur with his head upright, he asks us not to lower our heads, we need to resist, said the MAB leader.

She denounced those responsible for Lula's political prison, which had as a backdrop to prevent his return to the presidency. We need to denounce this farce of the Judicial Power and show the lie of (ex-judge Sergio) Moro, (jurist Deltan Martinazzo) Dallagnol y Red Globo', she added.

They invented a crime he did not commit, an invention based on conviction and not on facts. Lula paraphrased: 'the only fight people lose is the fight people don't do.

The former metallurgist reinforced the strategic importance of the social movements in this resistance period and in the leadership of the confrontation to the setbacks imposed by Jair Bolsonaro's government, Oliveira said.

Lula pointed out that popular movements are the ones to maintain the defense of Brazilian sovereignty and 'we have to continue in the struggle to prevent Brazil from falling to its knees before the United States, as defended by the current fascist government.

The former president once again expressed his gratitude for the resistance of those who have been in Curitiba since April 7 fighting for his freedom.

That Vigil is what keeps him alive within the Federal Police and it is our task to reproduce it in every part of Brazil' , said the member of Vigil.

Just as the former Head of State entered the funeral of his grandson with his head up, 'we are going to take him out with his head up and bring him into the space of resistance', remarked De Oliveira.

Lula has been in prison since April after being sentenced to 12 years and a month in second instance in a case of alleged corruption.

He was sentenced for a second time in February in the anti-corruption operation Lava Jato, this time to 12 years and 11 months.