The pre-candidate for president of the Republic and former governor of Minas Gerais Romeu Zema (Novo-MG) stated that a case involving Banco Master would be “unlikely” if the convictions of Operation Lava Jato had been upheld.
He attributed the episode of fraud committed by former banker Daniel Vorcaro to the feeling of impunity in Brazil and stated that the problem is not in regulatory failures, but in the lack of effective punishment for financial crimes.
“We had a Lava Jato that was completely dismantled. When you have this impunity, it seems like you are saying: foxes, get into the chicken coop whenever you want, nothing will happen to you”, he said in an interview with the program Free Channel.
The pre-candidate also stated that maintaining the Lava Jato convictions would have reduced the likelihood of similar episodes in the Brazilian financial system.
For him, the same principle also applies to combating violence and crime.
Part of the Lava Jato convictions were annulled by the Federal Supreme Court (STF) in decisions that highlighted procedural irregularities and incompetence of the Federal Court of Curitiba in some cases.
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About Desenrola
Romeu Zema (Novo) stated that the federal government’s Desenrola program only addresses the effects of family debt, without addressing the structural cause of the issue. Zema compared the debt renegotiation program to palliative treatment.
“Desenrola is the same thing as taking someone with a fever and putting them in a bathtub with ice. I want to cure the fever. We have to attack the problem at the source and not the consequence”, he stated in the interview.
Desenrola was created in an attempt to facilitate the renegotiation of debts for people in default, with discounts and better payment conditions. The federal government is expected to announce Desenrola 2.0 this Monday, 4.
According to Zema, the high level of debt of the Brazilian population results from the fiscal policy of the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), which, in the pre-candidate’s view, contributes to the maintenance of high interest rates in Brazil.
“Brazilians are in debt, paying high payments, including for their own home, because of Lula’s spending. Companies are going bankrupt, failing to generate jobs as a result,” he said.
Zema also stated that, if elected, he intends to prioritize reducing interest rates as a central economic policy measure. According to him, the drop in the cost of credit would have a direct impact on family budgets, by reducing financing and loan installments. “Everyone who buys anything financed today will pay much less and their income will automatically improve.”
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Impeachment no STF
Zema (Novo-MG) said that the Brazilian people “who care, who get up early and who know that the country has a future” will only be proud of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) again when some of the ministers who currently occupy the Costa jails are impeached.
According to the former governor of Minas Gerais, the apparent involvement of members of the STF with former banker Daniel Vorcaro and the Banco Master case caused outrage and distrust in relation to the integrity of the Judiciary.
“Brazilians were outraged by everything that is happening in Brasília, specifically, in the STF. For Brazilians to be proud of the Supreme Court again, we have to remove some elements from there. The most natural path for this is the impeachment process”, he stated in the interview with the program Free Channel.
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The impeachment of STF ministers depends on the opening of proceedings by the Federal Senate. The Constitution determines that it is up to senators to prosecute and judge members of the Court for crimes of responsibility. Although dozens of requests have been presented in recent years, no Supreme Court minister has been removed since redemocratization.
Supreme Court ministers Luiz Fux, Cármen Lúcia and Gilmar Mendes will retire during the term of the next President of the Republic. If there is no nomination and approval of a name to succeed the vacancy left by former minister Roberto Barroso in this last year of the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), there is the possibility of the candidate elected to the Planalto in 2026 nominating 4 new ministers.
The compulsory retirement of STF ministers occurs at the age of 75, a rule established by the so-called “PEC of Bengal”, enacted in 2015. Before that, the age limit was 70 years.
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Zema believes that the next president of Brazil will have “wisdom and moral capital to nominate suitable names” to occupy the Court.
