Arthur Lira goes from ‘guardian of reforms’ to ‘old tricks’, in the FT – 10/22/2023 – Nelson de Sá

In the Global Insight column, the Financial Times published the text “Brazil is taking worrying steps to distance itself from clean politics”, with a photo of Lula and Arthur Lira (below). Opening the article, “Brasília’s political class is up to its old tricks.”

The biggest target is the president of the Chamber. “Front and center [do palco] is Arthur Lira’s so-called ‘electoral reform’.” If it passes, “it will allow parties to use electoral funds to buy cars, boats and planes”, in addition to “a kind of ‘vote buying’, hiring people without disclosing their names “.

At the same time, “it is also promoting an ‘amnesty project’ that eliminates hundreds of millions of dollars in party fines.”

The FT also criticizes Supreme Court ministers Gilmar Mendes, this one also with a photo, for having “filed a bribery case involving Lira’s allies”, and Dias Toffoli, for “annulling large amounts of evidence obtained in Lava Jato”. About this, he ends by hearing from Matias Spektor, from FGV:

“The fight against corruption will no longer be a dominant theme in Brazilian politics. Order has been restored. [Grande parte da culpa é das] questionable or illegal and politically motivated actions by Lava Jato. Ultimately, this did enormous damage to the cause of clean politics.”

GUARDIAN

Months earlier, the same FT published an interview with Lira, at the newspaper’s own event in New York. In the title, “President of the Chamber promises to prevent Lula from ‘going back’ on reforms”. In the subtitle, “Powerful leader tells FT he will defend market-friendly laws.”

He was treated as “the guardian of reforms”, in contrast to the “leftist veteran”, Lula. In one of the newspaper’s highlights, Lira said: “The Chamber is made up of reformist and liberal congressmen [na economia]. Without a shadow of a doubt, they will take care of the legacy of the reforms carried out.”

LINK PRESENT: Did you like this text? Subscribers can access five free accesses from any link per day. Just click the blue F below.