"It's gone too far not to call him up."

Gilberto Prazeres _PE247 – The possibility that the chairman of the board and editorial director of the Abril group, Roberto Civita, will be shielded in the Cachoeira CPI, revealed exclusively by 247 last week, does not seem to intimidate some parliamentarians. Federal deputy Fernando Ferro (PT-PE), for example, states that no explanation has been given so far to rule out summoning the owner of the group that publishes Veja magazine. According to the parliamentarian, the approximately 200 telephone calls of journalist Policarpo Júnior – the link between the magazine and the racketeer Carlos Cachoeira – recorded by the Federal Police (PF), are too strong an indication to be swept under the rug.

“I already said this on the floor of the Chamber. Whoever associates with criminals has to explain themselves. There are more than 200 calls to Cachoeira and a series of magazine covers based on information passed on by him. For Civita or even Policarpo not to be summoned, the explanations will have to be given in another way. It has already gone too far not to summon them,” argued Fernando Ferro, adding: “In England, for much less, a newspaper was shut down. And there's a magnate (Rupert Murdoch) testifying,” says Ferro.

The congressman, who earlier this month defended the summoning of Civita from the Chamber's podium, also criticizes the corporatist discourse adopted by Veja, Folha de São Paulo, and Rede Globo, claiming that the Cachoeira CPI could become a CPI to pressure the media and journalists. “It's a false discourse. There's nothing about attacking the media or journalists. This corporatism doesn't hold water. Veja's conduct is not the conduct of most journalists. They want to defend themselves with a lie,” the Workers' Party member asserted, assuring that the climate in Brasília is too heated for a retreat in the investigation of the activities of the racketeer Carlos Cachoeira and his connection to the Abril Group publication.

Last week, 247 revealed that executive Fábio Barbosa, president of the Abril group and former president of Febraban, went to Brasília with the mission of preventing the summoning of the president. Around the same time, information emerged that João Roberto Marinho, of Globo, had made it clear, through intermediaries, to the Presidential Palace that the government would face retaliation if journalists or media executives were summoned. And, to ensure the success of this maneuver, the group allegedly had a representative within the CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry), Congressman Miro Teixeira (PDT-RJ).

The attempt to block the summoning of Roberto Civita or even Policarpo Júnior to the Cachoeira CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry) would encounter its greatest resistance in the desire of former President Lula (PT) to see Veja magazine answer for its connection with the illegal gambling operator. Some parliamentarians, speaking off the record, assure that the former head of state is "ready for action" and doesn't want to miss the opportunity to retaliate against the many magazine covers with accusations against his governments (2003-2006/2007-2010). "And it's not just Lula. It's the PT as a whole and many parties. And not just government parties. Things have spiraled out of control. Whether (Civita) will be summoned, I don't know. But if he isn't, it will be extremely strange. This story is very public," stated a federal deputy from the opposition. On the government side, there is a feeling that "finally, payback is coming." "It's a personal request from Lula. It's his payback. It's difficult not to comply. If there's this story of retaliation from sectors of the press, the government will have to hold back," a congressman from the government's base also indicated, speaking off the record.