OperationCarWash
- The #Congress plans to start discussing in the next weeks changing the #Brazil(ian) electoral system. The discussion will be about adopting the American system. As is, a councilor or a local representative can live in place A, campaign for people who live in place B, and work for people in place C. Also, candidates who receives insufficient votes, even 1 single vote, can be elected if they're chosen by their party and the party has accumulated enough votes to transfer the excess. To make things even worse, the list of candidates the party chooses to receive the excess of votes is open, meaning the party can pick a name AFTER the votes are counted. Believe it or not, that's how it works in Brazil. Since this electoral system started, in 1988, more than 85% or all councilors and state and federal representatives were elected indirectly.
- In #Brazil, there is this national association for lawyers and attorneys called #OAB, Brazilian Attorneys-Lawyers Association, and in one post where the association asks for recently graduated attorneys and lawyers (up to 5 years) to attend a commission, you can see the image of a man fixing his LGBT-colored tie and the title “ADVOGADX INICIANTE, PARTICIPE DA SUA COMISSÃO” ('NEW ATTORNEY-LAWYER, ATTEND YOUR COMMISSION') where the first word is the gender neutral form of ADVOGADO (male attorney/lawyer) and of ADVOGADA (female). Every single attorney-lawyer has to be a member of OAB if they want to be able to practice their profession, just so you have an idea of the outreach and power this association has.
- Although #OperationCarWash was very important for #Brazil to get rid of the left (that was in power), there are some things about the operation that raise questions about the legality of the whole operation, especially since the main member of the operation, #SergioMoro, started messing up by saying #Bolsonaro used to interfere in his work in the #DepartmentofJustice (#MinistryofJustice), more specifically, interfere in the #FederalPolice's (the #Feds) freedom to act, saying during his resignation press conference he had proof of it but never presented it, and since then turning himself into a political enemy. One of the things about #CarWash that has called the attention is the amount of data collected by the operation, reaching 350 terabytes, while the Public Prosecutors Office involved in it has had access to only 40. Attorney General #AugustoAras requested access to the rest of the data, but another important member of the operation, #DeltanDallagnol, asked the #SupremeCourt's (#STF) to deny access. #moro #lavajato
- #SaoPaulo Governor #Doria is feeling the heat because of his unbridled political aggressiveness towards the #Bolsonaro administration, allies, and even simple citizens, like journalists, and, after some recent and fierce disagreements with big names in his party, the #PSDB, him leaving it is starting to get unavoidable. The reason behind this conflict is the fact that the PSDB, even though it's definitely not a Bolsonaro ally, is not willing to take on Dória's aggressive political antagonism.
- The #Brazil(ian) #SupremeCourt (#STF) put down #Bolsonaro's vetoes on the mandatory use of masks in schools. One more time, the STF ruling on what it shouldn't, just to antagonize the president. You see, back in 2020, the STF ruled that states and cities should be responsible for what anti#COVID19 measures they take and how they are applied, including the #lockdown, but now each school can't decided over mandating or not, or partially mandating the use of masks.
- The congressman #FilipeBarros wrote a law bill that removes the absolute power of the Electoral Supreme Court (#STE) to create, change, and remove election rules. The law bill proposes that this becomes the #HouseofRepresentatives' (#LowerHouse #Congress) responsibility. It's already clear that the #SupremeCourt (#STF) is working against the #Bolsonaro administration by ruling about things they shouldn't be ruling, and STF Judge #AlexandreBarroso revealed last year his excitement about the implementation of the vote by phone. If an app happens to be unveiled and the STF rules it will be the means to vote, there will be nothing Bolsonaro or the Houses can do. This law bill is from last year, but the previous chair of the Congress wouldn't even put it to vote, but now that the chair is more aligned with the president and the chair of the commission that analyzes the constitutionality of law bills is a strong Bolsonaro ally, this law bill is sure to go a vote.
- As has become much more usual in #Brazil after #Bolsonaro was elected, some of the #SupremeCourt (also called #STF) judges keep giving interviews, and in Judge #AlexandreBarroso's latest interview, he said, DO YOU THINK #VENEZUELA IS CONSERVATIVE? I DEFINITELY THINK SO, EVER SINCE #HUGOCHAVEZ. IN MY OPINION, THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A RIGHTWING TYRANNY WITH A DISGUISED RHETORIC. PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T LIVE DURING THE #DICTATORSHIP [it was a #militaryregime, actually] ARE INFLUENCED BY THE RHETORIC OF THOSE WHO MISS A TIME THAT DIDN'T EXIST [one can romanticize about a time they didn't live, but not miss it, or the judge is just dismissing the opinion of those who lived back then, which is vastly positive]. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO LOST FAITH IN BRAZIL AND MISS WHAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. He also said that it's necessary to DEMYSTIFY FETISHES about the past. In that past, crime was lower, individuals had more freedom, families more power, and development was higher. Are these fetishes to one of our highest level judges?
- The number is still small, but teachers in private schools in #Brazil are already experimenting pushing for the use of #genderneutral words. For instance, 'thank you' is 'obrigado' when said by a man and 'obrigada' when said by a woman. Its gender neutral is 'obrigade.' Most parents and students are reacting negatively and have been demanding explanations.