JB: group seized power “to protect themselves and continue looting”

In a speech to business leaders in São Paulo this week, the former president of the Supreme Federal Court called political parties "factions" and, without mentioning Michel Temer's PMDB party, declared that the group that seized power did so to protect itself and continue stealing; "Our country has been paralyzed for over a year due to a war between political factions. We know roughly that it is about ambition, greed, attachment to power, an attempt to perpetuate oneself in power to protect oneself, but also to continue plundering the nation's resources," he declared; in May, after the first Senate vote in favor of impeachment, he had denounced a "conspiracy" in Congress and emphatically defended new elections.

August 11, 2016, 13:24 PMUpdated June 29, 2018, 21:50 pm

In a speech to business leaders in São Paulo this week, the former president of the Supreme Federal Court called political parties "factions" and, without mentioning Michel Temer's PMDB party, declared that the group that seized power did so to protect itself and continue stealing; "Our country has been paralyzed for over a year due to a war between political factions. We know roughly that it is about ambition, greed, attachment to power, an attempt to perpetuate oneself in power to protect oneself, but also to continue plundering the nation's resources," he declared; in May, after the first Senate vote in favor of impeachment, he had denounced a "conspiracy" in Congress and emphatically defended new elections (Photo: Gisele Federicce)

247 - Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Joaquim Barbosa once again criticized the impeachment process that removed President Dilma Rousseff from office, called political parties "factions," and stated, without directly mentioning Michel Temer's PMDB party, that the group that seized power did so to protect itself and continue stealing.

The statements were made last Tuesday, the 9th, to business leaders during the opening of a sustainability event in São Paulo, according to... as reported by the Gazeta newspaper.In his speech, he also criticized the relationship between businesses and the government that has been established in Brazil for decades, as well as the current political system.

"Our country has been paralyzed for over a year due to a war between political factions. We know, roughly, that it's about ambition, greed, clinging to power, an attempt to perpetuate themselves in power to protect themselves, but also to continue plundering the nation's resources," declared JB.

In May, after the first Senate vote in favor of impeachment, he had already denounced a "conspiracy" in Congress and emphatically defended new elections in the country, also in a lecture. "That was a pure charade to justify the seizure of power," Barbosa commented at the time, regarding the senators' vote.

"To put someone in the president's place who either lost the presidential election to the outgoing president or someone who wouldn't even dream of running for president of the Republic. Brazil, mark my words, will have to live with this anomaly for more than two years," he said, referring to the PSDB and PMDB parties.

Watch below excerpts from the statements given in May: