‘Everything that was done was based on evidence, evidence displayed publicly,’ said the president of the Supreme Court, citing the existence of a plan to murder Lula and Minister Alexandre de Moraes
The president of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) said that “it is unfair to punish ministers who, with courage and independence, have fulfilled their role.” He refers to the sanctions imposed by the US due to the judgment of the former president (PL), completed last week. The minister made a brief pronouncement at the beginning of the plenary session on Wednesday (17), the first after the conviction of Bolsonaro and seven other defendants.
“It is simply unfair to punish the country, its workers and its companies by a major decision based on evidence, compromising their companies and workers. It is also unfair to punish ministers who, with courage and independence, have fulfilled their role. In Brazil, almost all of society recognizes that there was an attempt to coup and that it is important to judge their guardians,” Barroso said.
The minister countered the allegations that the Supreme drives a “witch hunt” to Bolsonaro and the right, in reference to the justification of the US government to impose a 50% surcharge on Brazilian imports. “No decision of the Brazilian Federal Supreme Court is intended to be extraterritorial reach. We only take care of our garden. But above all, there is no hunting for witches or political persecution. All that was done was based on evidence, evidence displayed,” he said, citing the existence of a plan to murder the President of the Republic and Minister Alexandre de Moraes, the scammer draft and a post-hear speech for Bolsonaro.
He also denied that there is censorship in Brazil and stressed that “the fullest freedom of expression” in the country. “I am a person who I read from everything. And I receive daily, from press vehicles and blogs, the most acidic criticism of the government, the congress and, above all, to the Supreme Court. Many of them rude and offensive. All these vehicles are still in the air, without any shake. He reads who wants,” he said.
The minister began his speech extolling his personal and academic links with the US. “As it is public and notorious, and I lived, I studied and worked in the United States at different times of my life. I had an exchange in Michigan with a lovely family from whom I am a friend to this day. Simple, traditional, conservative people. I judge people for the character, not for ideology,” said Barroso, also quoting his master’s degree at the University of Yale, a work at Washington, a postdoctoral degree at the University of Harvard and his performance as a teacher at Kennedy School since 2018.
“I make this brief description to make it documented that all my feelings about the country are good: I have academic calls there, I have dear friends, I admire people and institutions,” he said.
*With information from Estadão Content
Posted by Carol Santos
