Gilmar Mendes says that Lava Jato in Curitiba “generated Bolsonaro” and “has the germ of fascism”

Minister Gilmar Mendes, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), said this Monday (8) that the performance of prosecutors and judges of Operation Lava Jato in Curitiba was responsible for the election of Jair Bolsonaro (PL) to the presidency of the Republic in 2018, and that the capital that was the base of the investigations “has the germ of fascism” (see in full).

The statements were made during the magistrate’s participation in the program Roda Viva, on TV Cultura, on Monday night. Mendes was asked by one of the interviewers about the decision he made in 2016 suspending the inauguration of then-former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) as chief minister of the Civil House of the government of Dilma Rousseff (PT). If he took office, Lula could not be investigated by Lava Jato in Curitiba.

Hours after the decision, the Chamber of Deputies formed the commission that began the process of analysis and impeachment of the then president. Mendes says he does not regret having decided to suspend the inauguration because “there was a deviation in purpose” – which was to shield Lula in the process.

Afterwards, Gilmar commented on the unfolding of the facts that led to Dilma’s impeachment and completed with statements about Bolsonaro and Lava Jato.

“What I think is fundamental in your question is the following: Curitiba spawned Bolsonaro, Curitiba has the germ of fascism. Including all the practices they develop, investigations on the sly [dissimulação silenciosa para iludir]atypical investigations, there is no need to say more”, said the magistrate.

Gilmar Mendes cited hacked conversations of members of the Lava Jato operation, in the episode known as “Vaza Jato”, claiming that there was a “combination of actions” between the prosecution and the then federal judge Sérgio Moro, “perhaps due to a certain lack of culture” and that there was a Code of Criminal Procedure of its own.

“And then what happens: Moro leaks the accusation of the
[Antonio] Palocci [ex-ministro da Casa Civil de Dilma] between the first and second round [da eleição de 2018]participates in the process, takes a very clear position in favor of the extreme right”, fired at the current senator.

The magistrate also stated that the decision for the second-instance arrest issued at the time – reversed in 2019 – was not only due to Lava Jato, but due to the context of the entire criminal process, which he says he regrets. “Although I have no problem recognizing error”, he concluded.

Moro commented on the minister’s interview on Twitter: “I don’t have the same obsession for Gilmar Mendes that he has for me. I fought corruption and arrested criminals who plundered democracy. Not many people can say the same in this country.”