Opposition senators criticized this Tuesday (26) the progress of investigations into recent allegations against politicians and military personnel, accused of planning the assassination of president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, vice-president Geraldo Alckmin, and minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF). “Brazil is currently under the dictatorship of the Judiciary”, said Senator Plínio Valério (PSDB-AM).
The repercussion occurred after Moraes removed the confidentiality of the investigation into the alleged attempted coup d’état that led to the indictment of former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and 36 other people last week.
In a speech in the Plenary, Senator Hamilton Mourão (Republicanos-RS) expressed concern about what he called a moment of political “crisis” in the country.
The senator highlighted a statement by Minister Luís Roberto Barroso, president of the STF, questioning the gaps in the case: “What else do I need to know?”. Mourão, in turn, expanded the doubt, criticizing what he classified as selective leaks and possible political motivations behind the investigations.
“I don’t know, minister [Barroso]as a factually failed or simply non-existent conspiracy, dating back more than two years, explodes in the media in the face of the nation without further explanation. Does the investigation really want to investigate the serious facts reported or create another political factoid to disorient the country?”, asked Mourão.
The senator also drew attention to a recent meeting, without official record on public agendas, between President Lula, the Attorney General of the Republic, Paulo Gonet, ministers of the STF, and the director of the Federal Police, Andrei Rodrigues. He questioned the meeting’s lack of transparency and raised doubts about its purpose.
“What would justify and what does it mean for authorities from different Powers to meet with the leadership of the State’s police arm? There is a lot we need to know, especially how we reached this point of social discord, political persecution and ideological revenge. But one thing is certain: a democracy cannot be made political with the police; Above all, the greatest purpose of the State is achieved with justice”, stated Mourão.
In the same vein, the leader of the opposition in the Senate, Rogério Marinho (PL-RN), also criticized the “narratives” that were imposed in the investigation into an alleged coup d’état.
“After that new investigation, the coup was no longer January 8th. Please pay attention: the scam is now December 15th or December 12th. Now, what about the people who were convicted? And what about those who were sentenced to 14, 12, 17 years for painting lipstick on a statue, for having the misfortune of being in the public square at that moment or for having entered public buildings and, effectively, vandalized them? These must be held responsible, yes, but according to the law and not the narrative; in accordance with the legal rite and not with the state of exception”, declared the parliamentarian.
Marinho also criticized the accusation made by Bolsonaro’s former assistant Mauro Cid, who made new revelations about the alleged coup against Minister Moraes. He called the case “picturesque” because the testimony took place on the same day that the PF presented the investigation against Bolsonaro.
“We can no longer trivialize the fact that Ministers of the Federal Supreme Court are constantly playing politics, making political statements, beyond their prerogatives as judges. This unbalances Brazilian democracy”, declared the senator.
Criticism of Moraes
Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) argued that the only way for Brazil to return to normality is through a “broad, general and unrestricted” amnesty. “I am increasingly convinced of this – which also includes Minister Alexandre de Moraes, because he has already given several examples of breaking the law of impeachmentin its art. 39, section II, which says very clearly – I’ll read it here, so as not to say it wrong – “render judgment, when, by law, he is suspected in the case”. This is unquestionable, it is a consensus among everyone here in Brazil”, stated the parliamentarian.
The former president’s son also highlighted that “the crimes committed by Moraes and Lula’s special group in the PF are not few”. “What starts wrong can’t end right. I have never seen anyone who does what Alexandre de Moraes is doing in the world who, at a given time, will not suffer the consequences for the illegalities, arbitrariness and abuses he committed”, he added.
For Senator Izalci Lucas (PL-DF), “it is unacceptable for Minister Alexandre de Moraes to invoke within the process in which he is a victim, in which he opens the investigation, analyses, determines, does everything, investigates, judges and condemns” . “Man, it can’t go on like this”, reinforced the parliamentarian.
