Wave of investigations reaches fevered pitch as Lula corruption allegations spark soul searching | Democracy, elections and voting at Democracy Chronicles

Brazilian prosecutors on Thursday opened a probe against former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for alleged influence-peddling relating to foreign construction firm Odebrecht SA. Prosecutors in the capital Brasilia announced in May that a preliminary investigation had begun into the accusations, alleging that Lula often traveled abroad at Odebrecht’s expense, between 2011 and 2014, after…