PT members protest against Federal Police searches at party headquarters.
A group of members of the PT's municipal board and members of social movements are protesting in front of the PT headquarters in São Paulo, where the Federal Police have been carrying out a search and seizure warrant for five hours; protesters unfurled a banner with a photo of the suspended president of the Chamber of Deputies, Eduardo Cunha (PMDB-RJ), and the words "Goodbye, thief. And Temer?"; "Once again, this is a selective action by the Federal Police against a political party that has not refused to participate in or collaborate with investigations," said the communications secretary of the Municipal Board, João Bravin.
Fernanda Cruz, from Agência Brasil - A group of members of the Workers' Party's municipal board and members of social movements are protesting in front of the PT headquarters in São Paulo, where the Federal Police have been carrying out a search and seizure warrant for five hours.
The protesters unfurled a banner with a photo of the suspended president of the Chamber of Deputies, Eduardo Cunha (PMDB-RJ), and the words "Goodbye, thief. And Temer?". The communications secretary of the Municipal Directorate, João Bravin, said he was outraged. According to him, the national president of the PT, Rui Falcão, was in Brasília today and is expected to travel to São Paulo.
"Once again, this is a selective action by the Federal Police against a political party that has not refused to participate in or collaborate with investigations," he said. "Every week we have a minister from this coup-plotting party leaving the government, and nobody goes to the homes of these former ministers who have made plea bargains, not even coercively. This is absurd, a selective persecution," he said.
Brazil cost
The operation, part of Operation Custo Brasil, an offshoot of Lava Jato, began at 6 a.m. at the PT headquarters in São Paulo, located on Rua Silveira Martins in the city center, which is closed to vehicular traffic – only pedestrians are allowed to pass through the area.
Eight armed men from the Federal Police's Rapid Intervention Group are providing security outside the building's headquarters, assisted by military police officers. The press office of the Federal Police in São Paulo informed that details of the operation will be provided to journalists at 11 am, in a press conference at the organization's headquarters in Brasília.
The operation's actions are being carried out jointly with the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office and the Federal Revenue Service, and the objective is to investigate the payment of bribes, originating from IT service contracts, totaling R$ 100 million, between 2010 and 2015, to individuals linked to public officials and agents in the Ministry of Planning, Budget and Management.
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Paulo Bernardo was arrested today in Brasília and is expected to be taken to São Paulo. His lawyer confirmed the arrest and stated that he sees no reason for the action: "The arrest is unjustified. My client no longer holds any position and has always made himself available to the authorities to provide clarifications."
Federal police officers are also executing warrants in Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Pernambuco, and the Federal District.
Health
Workers from various health categories in the state of São Paulo, who are on strike, passed in front of the PT (Workers' Party) headquarters at around 10:20 am. The protest was unrelated to the searches at the party headquarters, as the strikers already had a planned route to go along Silveira Martins street to the Bank Workers' Union gymnasium, where a union assembly will be held.