Marisa Letícia Lula da Silva

Marisa Letícia Lula da Silva (née Rocco Casa; April 7, 1950 – February 2, 2017) was the second wife of former President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and First Lady of Brazil, from 2003 to 2010. Lula's first wife, Maria de Lourdes da Silva, died in labour when Lula was in his twenties.

Background

Marisa Letícia Rocco Casa was born in the city of São Bernardo do Campo, in the São Paulo Metropolitan Area where she grew up, studied, worked, married and first became politically active. She was married to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from 1974 until her death in February 2017. They had four children and two grandchildren together.

Born to Italian grandparents (Lombards from Palazzago, Province of Bergamo), Marisa was the penultimate child among Antônio João Casa (son of Giovanni Casa and Carolina Gambirasio) and Regina Rocco's (daughter of Mariano Rocco and Giovanna Boff) brood of eleven children.

Until she was five, Marisa lived with her family in the old Casa farm, where her grandfather built the St. Anthony Chapel, still standing to this day. The area is currently known as the Casa neighborhood in honor of her family, one of the first ones to arrive in the area.

In 1955, the family moved to downtown São Bernardo do Campo. Marisa's first school was made of wood. In third grade she was transferred to the school Grupo Escolar Maria Iracema Munhoz. At age nine she started working as babysitter for three younger girls.

When she was thirteen years old, she got a job at the Dulcora chocolate factory. Because she could not be registered as an official worker, her father signed an authorization so she could work as a chocolate wrapper. She remained in the factory until she was twenty-one, when she became pregnant of her first son.

In 1973, widow and mother of one son of her first marriage, Maria Letícia returned to work, this time as a state school inspector hired by the City Hall. That same year she met Lula at the Metallurgist’s Trade Union of São Bernardo do Campo. Seven months later they got married.

In 1975, Lula was elected Head of the Metallurgist’s Trade Union of São Bernardo do Campo. This period also marked the beginning of Marisa’s political militancy. Always side by Lula, she encouraged other women to participate in the Trade Union of ABCD. Then, in 1978 the strikes began in the ABC region of São Paulo.

The Workers' Party (PT) was founded on 10 February 1980. Marisa cut and sewed the first flag. Being an active militant, she helped to create the various divisions and stamp t-shirts in order to collect funds to the Party. In April of that same year, the Federal Government decreed the intervention in the union. Having lost their gathering space, Marisa’s house became the stage for meetings of unionists, politicians, artists and intellectuals. Then, Lula and other union leaders were arrested.

During this time, Marisa helped to organize a women's protest march for releasing the Union leaders. Surrounded by policemen, tanks and cavalry, thousands of women and children left Praça da Matriz and walked through Marechal Deodoro street to the Paço Municipal and returned to the Matriz Church. A great act was held with the participation of the then bishop of Santo André, Dom Cláudio Hummes.

When her husban Lula ran for president in 1982, 1986, 1994 and 1998 Marisa Letícia shared her time among her children, house and the campaigns. She also participated in the Citizenship Caravans that crossed the country.

In 2002, having raised her four children to adulthood, the wife of candidate Lula was able to dedicate herself entirely to that year’s electoral campaign. At Lula’s side she crossed the country as his most valuable electoral support. Marisa’s constant and marking presence throughout Lula's trajectory reaffirmed her position as first-comrade.

In one of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's trips abroad, in October 2003, the First Lady was awarded the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit.

In the 2009 biopic Lula, o filho do Brasil, Marisa Letícia was portrayed by Juliana Baroni.

On September 19, 2016, as part of the Operation Car Wash corruption scandal investigation, an indictment for money laundering against Marisa Leticia Lula da Silva and her husband, former President Lula was accepted by Paraná 13th Circuit federal judge Sérgio Moro.

Death

Marisa Letícia died on February 2, 2017 after spending over a week hospitalized due to a stroke. She was 66.

Honours

•  Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic (Kingdom of Spain, 11 July 2003).
•  Dame Gran Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit (Kingdom of Norway, 2003).