Note: Operation Car Wash is a corruption investigation in Brazil that has convicted many political leaders and Brazilian oligarchs and business leaders. In the last week, the investigation has imploded and the conviction of its biggest “success,” incarcerating the most popular politician in Brazil, Lula da Silva, before he could run for re-election, has been brought into question. It is now evident the judicial and prosecutorial processes were used to prevent the re-election of Brazil’s most popular politician.
The Intercept has acquired a massive leak of information that is rocking Brazil’s political and legal world. The materials include months of conversations on Telegram, an encrypted chat app, between the judge who convicted and sentenced Lula as well as the prosecutor in Lula’s case. The series, which is just beginning, has already caused an earthquake in Brazil and the Supreme Court will consider the matter in two weeks.
It is evident the judge, Sérgio Moro, teamed up with the prosecutors to convict Lula, helped the prosecutors shape the case and that this was done with the intent of stopping Lula from running for president. Lula led in polls by double digits at the time and was the country’s most popular politician, twice elected president until he was term-limited and could not run again. Documents show the prosecutors worked to make sure Lula was convicted so he could not run for president. Moro has been given an appointment by President Bolosonaro, a job created for him that combines a number of prosecutorial and investigatory powers into one person, which used to be spread over several agencies. Already there are calls, even from right-wing media that made Moro a hero, for him to resign.
The team of prosecutors worked to prevent Lula from being interviewed from prison before the final vote after a judge ordered that he could be interviewed. This ensured Lula was not heard from before the election and could not impact the outcome of the election.
Greenwald says this is the just beginning because the materials they received are massive. Lots more scandals will be uncovered. KZ
Since 2016 we have been denouncing the judicial, media and parliamentary coup against Dilma Rousseff, who was stripped from power, with the aim of destroying the Workers’ Party of Brazil (PT) and its historic leader Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva in order to prevent him from returning to the presidency.
Removing Dilma from power, replacing her with the usurper Michel Temer, launching a fierce persecution against Lula, imprisoning him without evidence, violating constitutional guarantees of the right to due process, and preventing him to be a candidate in the elections was the script used to prevent him from redirecting the destiny of Latin America’s largest country.
The judicial plot concocted in the Lava Jato operation, initially promoted by the PT itself, was directed by the prosecutor of the Federal Public Ministry, Deltan Dallagnol, who formed the “anti-corruption” prosecutors’ task force, the case of which fell intentionally to former examining magistrate Sergio Moro, who was awarded the post of Minister of Justice by the current far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.
We have always claimed that Lula was innocent, that Lula was the object of a political witch hunt, as are other Latin American leaders such as Cristina Fernández of Argentina, Jorge Glass and Rafael Correa of Ecuador.
This past Sunday, June 9, the Brazilian correspondent for the digital magazine The Intercept brought to light the truth by publishing a series of Telegram messages that highlight the gross violations of the Brazilian Constitution and the irregularities committed by Sergio Moro and prosecutor Dallagnol to plot the condemnation of Lula and ulitimatley gave Bolsonaro power.
Concerning the ownership of Guarujá’s famous apartment for which Lula was accused and convicted of owning but he never did, prosecutor Dallagnol himself expressed doubts about how to build the case to indict the PT leader. Judge Moro, who always boasted of supposed impartiality, was, in fact, the one who suggested, advised and indicated how to invent and carry out the crude assembly of corruption to incriminate Lula. In one of the chats revealed, Dallagnol says: “I have doubts about the link between Petrobras and enrichment, and after they spoke to me I am suspicious of the history of the apt… These are points where we have to have clear answers on the tip of our tongue”.
Moro always denied it was all politically motivated against Lula, but what The Interceptrevealed proves otherwise. Moro consulted Dallagnol and guided him in the investigations, in one of the chats he suggests contacting a source against Lula; “Apparently the person would be willing to lend information. I’m sending. The source is serious,” Moro wrote. Thanks!! We will make contact”, replies Dallagnol, “There would be dozens of properties”, adds Moro.
Dallagnol later explains that he called the source, but the source wouldn’t talk.” I’m thinking of making a subpoena [to the source], even based on apocryphal news,” says Dallagnol. – “Better to formalize, then,” Moro writes.
The montage to criminalize the PT, Dilma and Lula, was brewed for more than two years, from 2015 to 2017. In 2018, prosecutors coordinated how to prevent an interview with Lula requested by the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper and authorized by Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court prior to the elections. They had had to prevent Lula from publically asking the people to vote for Fernando Haddad. In one of the leaked messages a prosecutor says: “The decision (of the Supreme Court to authorize the interview) has no date, so we can schedule it after the election…“. After months of judicial battle, the interview took place in May. Lula was silenced to favor the election of Bolsonaro who presented himself to the electorate as the champion of anti-corruption.
The messages that come to light reveal the sinister plot against Lula and hatred of the PT. Glen Greenwald, an investigative reporter for The Intercept, said the leaked chats “look more like a war room session between operatives and anti-PT strategists than neutral instructor meetings.” The prestigious journalist awarded the Pulitzer for revealing Edward Snowden’s revelations about the secret PRISM surveillance program, assures that “the file provided by our source is one of the largest in the history of journalism.” It contains explosive secrets in chats, audios and documents about Dallagnol, Moro and many powerful factions. Our reporting is just beginning.
This developing Morogate could be transformed into a Brasilgate and it reminds us of the infamous Watergate case and how the revelations of two journalists about the illegal wiretapping at the headquarters of the Democratic Party ended Nixon’s government.
Moro and Dallagnol acted in a calculated coordinated manner, mocking the Constitution of Brazil and the principle of impartiality to imprison Lula and prevent the triumph of the PT. The flawed trial against Lula must be annulled.
The International Committee Peace, Justice and Dignity demands once again the immediate freedom of Lula, the public recognition of his innocence and the decriminalization of the PT.
Sergio Moro, Dallegnol and all those who mocked the principle of justice to strip Dilma of power, condemn Lula and hand Brazil over to the hands of the fascist Bolsonaro are the ones who must be tried and condemned.
We hope our solidarity will reach the people and workers of Brazil who will paralyze the country demanding respect for their rights and gains achieved and the freedom of Lula in the general strike they will carry out on June 14.
A lot of strength to the workers, peasants and students of Brazil.
Much strength and hope to Lula who will soon be free.