Jorge Chastalo Filho, a former Federal Police agent who accompanied Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during his imprisonment in Curitiba, recounts the experience in “Banho de Sol: os 580 dias da prisão de Lula.” Published by WMF Martins Fontes, the 592-page book is structured chronologically like a diary. Its release was held until after Brazil’s presidential election so it would not be used as a political or campaign tool, according to the publisher.
Chastalo writes that hostile remarks were heard during the helicopter journey carrying Lula from Afonso Pena Airport to the Federal Police headquarters, where the then-former president arrived after being arrested in April 2018. The aircraft commander told those speaking to respect his work and keep radio communications to essential information. An air traffic controller also reminded them that radio communications were recorded.
The agent says preparations for Lula’s arrival took three days, although staff initially did not believe he would actually be imprisoned. Four plans were drawn up, but Chastalo does not explain which was used or why the others were rejected. He recalls Lula arriving silent and looking dejected, and says he felt uncomfortable with the situation.
Lula’s cell contained a single bed, a small table, a chair and an old wardrobe. Its two barred windows had openings of no more than ten centimeters. Some personal items, including a razor and nail clippers, were kept back and provided only on request. Chastalo says he ordered food from a nearby restaurant on Lula’s second day, partly because he worried someone might try to poison the meal served at the facility.
Lula’s first time outdoors came on his fourth day, in an enclosed area used for smoking or outdoor meetings. He complained about the space and compared it to a cage. The book also describes requests for a ball to play with his grandson Arthur, and visits during which the two drew together. Arthur died in April 2019, aged seven. Lula was allowed to leave his cell only twice, according to the account: for the boy’s farewell and to attend a hearing in Curitiba. He was not permitted to attend the funeral of his brother Vavá, who died three months earlier.
Chastalo says his conversations with Lula were mostly about politics. He recalls Lula discussing Operation Car Wash and Marina Silva, saying he liked the former senator and minister but felt she had become “too pious.” Lula and Silva later grew closer during the 2022 election campaign, and she returned as environment minister in his government.
The agent also recounts Lula’s reaction after learning that his passport had been stolen. Chastalo says he had advised an aide not to tell him, but Lula heard about it from a group of senators visiting the facility. The book includes Lula’s quip that some adults act like children by showing good school grades but claiming they never received the report card when the grades are poor.
The book’s editor, journalist Lino Bocchini, says Chastalo began writing before Lula reached his cell. The original manuscript was nearly twice the length of the published version and was edited to remove material the author considered irrelevant and make its police terminology more accessible to general readers.
Sources: Folha Poder.