Signed by Briton Jeremy Corbyn, former Labor Party leader, and Ken Livingston, former Mayor of London, and Americans by Noam Chomsky, linguist and philosopher, filmmaker Oliver Stone, former United Nations independent democracy expert Alfred de Zayasok, and Congressman Ilhamar Mark Weisbrot of the Center for Economic Policy Research in Washington, DC, in a letter warns of the political use of the PF in 2022, the year of the presidential election.
The text mentions the recent NF operation at the residence of former Governor Cear Ciro Gomes on December 15 and the arrest of former President Lula da Silva in 2018, both of which were identified as possible candidates for next year’s presidential election.
“This search and seizure operation [em casa de Ciro] signals a new and dangerous moment in the race for the Brazilian presidential election in October 2022. The federal police, under the direct control of President Bolsonaro, with factions still loyal to the former Judge Sergio Moro, the corrupt judge who arrested Lula in 2018 and is now also running for president – now it serves to intimidate Bolsonaro’s opponents in the elections, ” letter.
The drafting of the letter was organized by Federal MP David Miranda and was based on the idea of asking foreign politicians and intellectuals, “friends of Brazil and defenders of political freedom”, to intensify surveillance of Bolsonara so that the head of State does not use this provision to stop the opposition, since, according to him, this happened in 2018 with the arrest of Lula.
“Friends of Brazil around the world should express their concern about the impudent use of the federal police for political persecution. We call on everyone who cares about Brazil and the cause of political freedom in the world to redouble their vigilance against the use of government power to contain opposition to Bolsonar. Brazil has never needed us more, ”the letter says.
Jair Bolsonaro is under investigation for alleged interference with PF in favor of family members and political allies. This investigation is pending before the Brazilian Supreme Court (STF).
The investigation began in April 2020 after former Justice Minister Sergio Moro accused the head of state of unlawful pressure and interference with the federal police, prompting prosecutors to ask STF for permission to question Bolsonaro.
The investigation is trying to find out whether Bolsonaro pressured or tried to politically and illegally interfere with PF, the body responsible for investigating corruption against the president’s two sons: Senator Flavio Bolsonaro and Rio de Janeiro adviser Carlos Bolsonaro.
MYMM // LFS
Lusa / End
