Brazil’s $1bn pension fraud casts shadow over Lula re-election hopes

Brazil’s $1bn pension fraud casts shadow over Lula re-election hopes

Accusations of slow response to scandal hit president as polls began recovering from year-long slide

A $1 billion retirement scandal shakes the Brazilian government before next year's elections, forcing a minister to resign and recalling past cases of corruption under the party of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.Old voters are key to Lula and, at least until recently, were one of the few groups where the veteran politician maintained a positive net approval. Investigators investigating the scandal said officials conspired with scammers to d…