On Sunday, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro led yet another protest against the Congress and the Supreme Court outside of the presidential palace in Brasilia. He first waved at fans from a helicopter and then joined the demonstration, flouting government decrees that mandate wearing masks. As he dismounted from the helicopter, he rode a police horse to greet all those who had gathered.
During his speech, he once again criticized the Supreme Court’s decision to launch an investigation into him for political interference in the police force. He decried the backsliding of democracy in Brazil, comparing it to Hitler’s Germany. The Supreme Court has also launched an inquiry into “libel and intimidation campaigns” by his supporters on social media. Bolsonaro decried the “absurd orders” that could “plunge Brazil into a political crisis”. Thus, he joined protestors in calling for Brazil’s Congress and Supreme Court to be shut down.
Last week, Bolsonaro released a statement saying, “I never interfered in the work of the Federal Police. All statements to the contrary are frivolous. The testimonies of countless federal delegates confirm that I never asked any of them for information I expect responsibility and serenity in dealing with the matter.” The week prior to that, the Supreme Court released a recording of a ministerial meeting from April 22, in which Bolsonaro is seen saying that he wants to “change security officials, their bosses, or even ministers to stop his family and friends from getting ‘screwed’”.
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The current situation stems from Justice and Public Security Minister Sergio Moro’s decision to resign in April, citing “political interference” and a lack of “autonomy” in the federal police after federal police chief Mauricio Valeixo was fired. Moro accused Bolsonaro of “breaking the promise of a carte blanche”. Bolsonaro sacked Valeixo as he wanted someone with whom he had “personal contact, whom he could call, ask for information, intelligence reports”. An anti-corruption judge also resigned on the same day just after Moro resigned.
Following Moro’s exit, the Supreme Court forced the President to withdraw the name of a family friend that he had nominated to run the federal police, saying that it would give him undue influence over law enforcement. Justice Alexandre de Moraes blocked the appointment of Alexandre Ramagem, who was the director of the Brazilian intelligence agency Abin.
It is amid this turmoil that the Brazilian Supreme Court ordered an investigation into Bolsonaro’s alleged interference in police investigations for political gain. In late April, Justice Celso de Mello gave the federal police 60 days to question former Justice and Public Security Minister Sergio Moro. Their findings will be presented to the attorney general, who could either request for a trial against Bolsonaro or an indictment against Moro for false testimony. An indictment of the president would have to be approved by the lower house of Brazil’s Congress.
Also Read: Brazilian Supreme Court Orders Investigation Into Political Interference by Bolsonaro
The Supreme Court contends that “the crimes allegedly practiced by the president of the republic” appear to have “an intimate connection with the exercise of the presidential mandate”. However, given that the lower house is largely dominated by Bolsonaro’s supporters, an indictment will almost certainly not be approved. However, in the unlikely event that he is indicted, Vice President Hamilton Mourao would take over for up to 180 days. If Bolsonaro is then convicted in a trial, he would be impeached.
In the days following the Supreme Court’s decision to launch an investigation into Bolsonaro, the President has participated in multiple anti-lockdown protests and demonstrations against the Supreme Court and the Congress outside the Presidential palace.
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Many of Bolsonaro’s supporters have stood behind him and on called for the Supreme Court and Congress to be shut down to allow for a return to a more authoritarian style of governance, like that seen in the military dictatorship that ruled over Brazil from 1964-1985. Bolsonaro, a former army captain, has repeatedly celebrated and defended the previous military regime in spite of its numerous human rights abuses. Over the weekend, one of the protestors called for military intervention, saying, “close Congress and the STF now”.
In accordance with this support, Bolsonaro has said, “We have the armed forces at the people's side: the side of order, democracy, liberty.” He has also said, “Enough interference. Were not allowing any more interference. Our patience is over.” While this does not amount to calling for a military takeover, his explicit support for measures to disempower the Supreme Court and Congress has strong anti-democratic undertones.
In fact, Supreme Court Justice de Mello denounced Bolsonaro’s supporters for calling for a military dictatorship. He said, “We must resist the destruction of the democratic order to avoid what happened in the Weimar Republic when Hitler, after he was elected by popular vote ... did not hesitate annulling the constitution and imposing a totalitarian system in 1933.”
In fact, it is telling that Bolsonaro has doubled down against political opposition since the investigation began.
Last week, federal police raided the residence of Rio de Janeiro governor Wilson Witzel in a supposed COVID-19 corruption probe. Witzel said he was innocent of allegations of misuse of public funds, and while no arrests were made, he accused Bolsonaro of “interference”. Witzel is a former ally of Bolsonaro. However, during the ongoing pandemic, the two have shifted further apart as he opposes the President’s approach to the pandemic.
On Sunday, police used teargas to disperse hundreds of anti-Bolsonaro demonstrators in Rio de Janeiro who were calling for democracy. A separate ‘Black Lives Matter’ protest outside the city’s state government palace was also interrupted by police.
Brazil Coronavirus Coverage:
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- Brazil Emerges as New Epicenter for COVID-19
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- Bolsonaro Continues Offensive Against Quarantines, Warns Against Additional Measures
- Brazilian Mayors and Governors Defy President, Implement COVID-19 Lockdowns
- Bolsonaro Mimics Trump, Calls Coronavirus Anxiety 'Hysteria', Then Demands Emergency Funds
Amid this political crisis, Brazil is also beset by Bolsonaro’s mismanagement of the COVID-19 crisis, which has resulted in Brazil accruing over 529,000 cases, the second-most in the world. It has also recorded over 30,000 cases, the fourth-highest death toll in the world. However, medical experts in the country claim that a lack of testing obscures numbers that could be 12 to 15 times higher.
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