Okamotto: Everyone gets a little corrupted.
The president of the Lula Institute, Paulo Okamotto, criticizes the culture of corruption in the country and states that he has been approached by several construction companies that reported difficulties they were facing: “In the case of Lava Jato, it has to do with the ills of the country. To overcome the difficulties that we often have in companies, such as bureaucratic issues, people resort to reprehensible tactics”; 'In Brazil, unfortunately, that's how it is. Everyone is a little corrupt. We have a culture of buying favors, which is bad,' he added.
247 – Amidst Operation Lava Jato, which arrested executives from Brazil's largest construction companies for involvement in the scheme of money launderer Alberto Youssef, the president of the Lula Institute, Paulo Okamotto, criticizes the culture of corruption in the country. 'In Brazil, unfortunately, it's like that. Everyone is a little corrupt. We have a culture of buying favors, which is bad,' he said.
Okamotto claims to have been approached by several construction companies that reported difficulties they were facing. According to him, any company exposed to accusations has difficulty getting assistance, with doors closing in the government and at banks.
"In the case of Lava Jato, it has to do with the ills of the country. To overcome the difficulties that we often have in companies, such as bureaucratic issues, people resort to reprehensible tactics," he stated in an interview with 'Estado de S. Paulo'.
When questioned about the allegations against the PT treasurer, Vaccari Neto, he said: “Companies are making money. Nobody needs to corrupt anyone. It works like this: 'You're making money. Yes, I am. Can you give a little bit of your profit to the PT? Yes, I can't.' That's what I hope he did” (read closest).