Caiado vetoes bloodletting: 'I am in favor of healing'. And Agripino?
After stating that Agripino Maia (RN), president of his party and accused of corruption, deserves the benefit of the doubt, the leader of the Democrats in the Senate is 100% against the PSDB's thesis of "relaxing opposition" to President Dilma Rousseff (PT) and affirms that he will demand an investigation into the situation of "total misgovernment and corruption"; according to the ruralist, this is the same strategy proposed in 2005 during the so-called mensalão crisis, a thesis that, he believes, has proven ineffective: "Look how much the mensalão has grown to gigantic proportions and transformed into petrolão" (referring to the Petrobras scandal).
247 - Days after a passionate defense of the president of his party, Senator Agripino Maia (RN), accused of corruption, the leader of the Democrats in the Federal Senate, Ronaldo Caiado (GO), declared that he will not accept any suggestion of leniency from the Opposition in the face of the institutional and political crisis in which President Dilma Rousseff's (PT) government finds itself. The senator stated that, unlike the PSDB, and also unlike what he proposes for his party members, who enjoy the benefit of the doubt, he will demand an investigation of the facts and the necessary developments so that we can clarify to all of Brazilian society the situation of total misrule and corruption."
"We cannot repeat the same model that the opposition chose in 2005 with the Mensalão scandal, of waiting for President Lula to bleed. It is Brazil that is bleeding today. With this entire corruption process reaching unimaginable proportions, it is unacceptable that the opposition is pursuing the idea that removing Dilma will be pointless, that she should bleed until the last day of her government. I am 100% opposed to this thesis proposed by the PSDB. Lula's bleeding has become a breeding ground for corruption in the country," he stated.
Positioning himself as "100% opposed" to the thesis proposed by the PSDB, Caiado argued that the strategy proposed in 2005 during the Mensalão scandal resulted in the improvement of the scheme to divert government money. "This thesis has already proven inefficient. Look at how much the Mensalão scandal grew to gigantic proportions and transformed into the Petrolão scandal," he argued.
"In favor of healing"
Ronaldo Caiado declared that the Democrats' position will be to uphold the basic parliamentary principle of overseeing and demanding action according to the magnitude of the illegal act. "I am in favor of healing this process, not bleeding it dry." He called any action by the opposition other than demanding a successful conclusion to the investigation "unacceptable."
"It is unacceptable that the Opposition does not demand at this moment that the rules governing the democratic rule of law be applied to all scandals. The allegations are being investigated by the Justice system and the Federal Police. The political decision rests with the National Congress, and I will not remain silent or renounce my prerogatives. Tomorrow, if the facts are confirmed, the authorities will have to answer for the crimes of responsibility they have committed," he concluded.
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"Unlike the PSDB, I will demand an investigation of the facts and the necessary developments so that we can clarify to all of Brazilian society the situation of total misrule and corruption. We cannot repeat the same model that the opposition chose in 2005 with the Mensalão scandal, of waiting for President Lula to bleed. It is Brazil that is bleeding today. With this entire corruption process reaching unimaginable proportions, it is unacceptable that the opposition is pursuing the thesis that nothing will be gained by removing Dilma, that she should bleed until the last day of her government. I am 100% opposed to this thesis proposed by the PSDB (a prescription made in 2005, and look at the result of that treatment). Lula's bleeding has become a breeding ground for corruption in the country. This thesis has already proven ineffective. Look at how the Mensalão scandal grew to gigantic proportions and transformed into the Petrolão scandal. As leader of the Democrats, I do not agree with this proposal. I am in favor of curing this process, not of..." "Bleeding. First: the basic foundation of democracy and the cornerstone of the Republic is precisely the power to oversee. It is unacceptable that the Opposition does not demand at this moment that the rules governing the democratic rule of law be applied to all scandals. The allegations are being investigated by the Justice system and the Federal Police. The political decision rests with the National Congress, and I will not remain silent nor renounce my prerogatives. Tomorrow, if the facts are confirmed, the authorities will have to answer for the crimes of responsibility they have committed."
Ronaldo Caiado, leader of the Democrats in the Federal Senate.