Action by politicians is cited as the main reason for the end of Lava Jato

A survey carried out by Genial/Quaest published this Sunday (3) by the newspaper O Globo shows that, for the majority of Brazilians, the end of the Lava Jato operation was motivated by the actions of politicians who wanted to block the investigations. This month marks ten years of what is considered the largest operation against corruption ever carried out in the country.

According to the survey, 42% of those interviewed believe that the task force ended because of the actions of politicians. For 25%, there were exaggerations and errors on the part of the investigators and judges involved in the operation. Another 8% responded that, in 2021, corruption in the government had ended and there was nothing left to investigate.

Almost half of those interviewed (49%) say that Lava Jato helped fight corruption, while 37% disagree with this statement. For 50%, the operation “did more good” to Brazil, against 28% who consider it “did more harm”. Another 7% responded that it was “neither good nor bad”.

Lula, Moro and STF

Genial/Quaest also asked interviewees whether they consider current president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) – convicted and imprisoned based on Lava Jato investigations – guilty or innocent. The result shows a division on the subject, with the two alternatives reaching 43%. When asked whether Lava Jato investigated the parties equally, 23% said yes, however, 28% stated that it mainly investigated the PT.

The role of former judge and current senator Sergio Moro (União Brasil-PR) leading the operation divides Brazilians. Of those interviewed, 44% disapprove of the work he does, while 40% approve.

The survey also heard Brazilians’ opinions about the Lava Jato punishments annulled by the Federal Supreme Court (STF). This is the case with President Lula’s convictions and, more recently, the suspension by Minister Dias Toffoli of R$14 billion in fines applied to companies that were targeted by the task force. For 74% of those interviewed, the Supreme Court encourages corruption by canceling punishments.

The Genial/Quaest survey interviewed 2,000 Brazilians aged 16 and over in 120 municipalities in person. The margin of error is estimated at plus or minus 2.2 percentage points, for a 95% confidence level.