Peace by appointment.

The end of the Workers' Party's war against the president of the Supreme Federal Court, Minister Joaquim Barbosa, has a definite date: October 6th. From that day on, Barbosa can buy a one-bedroom apartment without anyone saying it's luxurious, he can travel on commercial flights without anyone accusing him of using a private jet, he can even send (with a bit of resistance) the convicted defendants of the Mensalão scandal to jail. On October 6th, no longer affiliated with any party, Joaquim Barbosa will no longer be eligible to run for President of the Republic. Since he will no longer be a threat to Dilma and the Workers' Party, he will once again be a good guy.

The entire campaign against Barbosa, which began when he led the Mensalão trial, gained momentum when PT advisors identified him as a possible presidential candidate. It's nonsense: Barbosa has already said he doesn't want to run; his arrogant, overbearing attitude is an obstacle to any political maneuvering. Any party that decides to accept him knows that rising with him doesn't mean sharing power. But, just in case, if he changes his mind and some party is willing to do anything to reach the government, they'll start accusing him (scandal!) of liking football and eating popcorn while watching TV. The barely veiled racism, disgusting, almost unbelievable, like what appeared explicitly on Dilma's blog (which isn't the president's, but exists to support her), will return in its usual disguises.

From there, campaigns against Aécio, Eduardo Campos, and Marina Silva will emerge. We're going to have an interesting year.

For those who enjoy it, it's a real treat.

The mystery of the vandals
Young men with cell phones, recording demonstrations, are assaulted by police and arrested. Until then peaceful protesters were attacked by police when they tried to go to a prohibited area. Meanwhile, vandals who attacked stores, destroyed traffic signs, public trash cans, subway station doors and phone booths, and set buses on fire, acted freely.

The events in Rio – the police arrested a young man who was recording the demonstrations and falsely accused him of carrying Molotov cocktails; a vandal caught throwing Molotov cocktails and running towards the police, changing clothes and standing among them – open the door to a terrible conclusion: that there is infiltration of official agents in the midst of the demonstrations, engaging in acts that lead public opinion to condemn the demonstrators and support the use of force against them.

The end of the movie
That's not all: a couple of vandals told the police they worked for ABIN, the Brazilian Intelligence Agency, a federal government agency. This could be a lie – and let's hope it is (ABIN denies it, but they would have to deny it under any circumstances). Aggressive actions by agents provocateurs are devastating to the stability of the regime.

And in the end, we all lose in this movie.

Believe it or not
At the reception hosted by the Rio de Janeiro state government for the Pope, biscuits, water, and coffee were served. Official cost: R$ 1.300 per person. Even if the biscuits were made by Portuguese nuns and the water came from Himalayan springs, the cost wouldn't be explained. Perhaps it's the coffee. They already knew the cold weather would cause prices to rise.

Legal and expensive
Last week, the Minister of Justice, José Eduardo Cardozo, as usual, returned from Brasília to his home in São Paulo on a Brazilian Air Force jet. He was accompanied by the Minister of Policies for Women, Eleonora Menicucci.

Someone needs to tell the minister that there are already commercial flights between Brasília and São Paulo, at much more affordable prices. He would certainly enjoy sitting among the passengers and even doing what is difficult in his office: talking to ordinary people.

From bed to bed
There's a scandal going on in Brasília (yes, another one – but this one is different) and the press doesn't know what to do. An important member of parliament used her office budget to pay for a motel. Praise be to Her Excellency's health, as many people her age have already given up the noble sport; but with public money? The problem for the press is that the parliamentarian is married.

They say the husband doesn't mind, as long as the money isn't his, but how can we be sure?

It's our thing.
An advertisement has been widely circulated on the internet, offering "authentic university, technical, and postgraduate diplomas, with RA number and publication in the DOU" – an abbreviation that could refer to the Official Gazette of the Union, but it must be something else. Everything is fast: "express delivery in just 10 days." The warning follows: "Don't be fooled by false promises, negotiate with someone who has worked for over 5 years with satisfied clients throughout Brazil." And the perfect ending: "With us, you won't be buying a diploma, you'll be buying a lifetime of learning."

Will any authority be investigating this fraud?

Research
A survey conducted by Ibope and published by Transparency International shows that 81% of Brazilians consider political parties to be "corrupt" or "very corrupt."

The remaining 19% are likely less well-informed.