Judges sit in an appellate court during a hearing to consider whether to uphold or throw out a corruption conviction against Brazil’s former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Porto Alegre, Brazil (Sylvio Sirangelo/TRF via AP) Many argue that sidelining him could anger millions of his supporters and shake the country’s political stability. Lula Da Silva was convicted of receiving more than $1 million in bribes, including a newly refurbished beachfront apartment, as part of a corruption scandal known as "Operation Car Wash."

The former president can appeal the conviction to Brazil's Superior Electoral Court and the Supreme Federal Court and apply to an electoral tribunal for a special exemption to run for president if the appeal process extends through the election.
The Brazil Workers' Party (PT) insists that former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will be their candidate for the upcoming presidential election even as a conviction for corruption bars him from participating. The São Paulo stock market hits new highs and the value of the Brazilian real strengthens.