Transparency International, which played a decisive role in Lava Jato, comes out in defense of Bolsonaro.
NGO that weakened national companies criticizes house arrest of former president.
247 - Transparency International in Brazil released a statement on Tuesday (5) expressing concern about the house arrest of Jair Bolsonaro (PL), ordered by Minister Alexandre de Moraes of the Supreme Federal Court (STF). The organization states that the measure has “weak legal foundations” and suggests that it may represent an attempt at political silencing, “incompatible” with the principles of the rule of law, as it points out. reporter from CNN.
Despite presenting itself as a defender of the fight against corruption, Transparency International has built a controversial history in Brazil. The NGO played a central role in Operation Lava Jato, which, under the pretext of combating irregularities, led to the penalization of large strategic national companies, such as construction companies and Petrobras, compromising production chains and millions of jobs. Critics point out that, in most cases, the organization's actions ended up favoring foreign interests by weakening key sectors of the Brazilian economy.
In its statement regarding Bolsonaro, the organization declared: “The house arrest decreed based on weak legal grounds, especially for alleged violation of a generic prohibition on communication, is worrying and appears to constitute an attempt at silencing incompatible with the rule of law.”
While acknowledging that the former president should be tried for corruption and attacks on democracy, the NGO demands that the process strictly respect constitutional guarantees. It also highlighted that, during Bolsonaro's administration, it denounced cases such as embezzlement schemes, money laundering, and the dismantling of anti-corruption mechanisms.
The text also criticizes the Supreme Federal Court, stating that the empowerment of the Court in emergency contexts cannot become a recurring practice of "overstepping" its powers, and that "the continuation of exceptional measures, coupled with decisions that favor impunity in large corruption schemes and ethically questionable conduct by ministers, compromises the public legitimacy of the court."
