Bolsonaro Says Moro Is Selfish and Does Not Help Government in Coronavirus Crisis

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – President Jair Bolsonaro is annoyed by the Minister of Justice, Sérgio Moro’s stance on the coronavirus crisis. Over the weekend, the President complained to his supporters that Moro is “selfish” and is not acting to support his positions in the face of restrictive measures by states and municipalities to control the Covid-19. Bolsonaro complains that he is legally unassisted.

Bolsonaro and Moro

The President’s annoyance is already condensed in a collage that is circulating in Bolsonarist WhatsApp groups and displays the Minister of Justice in three versions. In the first photo, Moro is wearing a mask over his mouth. In the second, the mask covers his eyes. In the third, two masks cover his ears.

Over the weekend, in a conversation with supporters, Bolsonaro complained about the stance of the former Operation Lava Jato judge, saying that the Minister “only thinks about himself” and “is doing nothing” to help the government in the battle the President is fighting with governors.

On social media, Moro has refrained from embracing Bolsonaro’s discourse, which advocates that people outside the risk group should return to work. On Monday, the Minister of Justice, who is already under pressure behind the scenes, posted his message on Twitter: “Prudence at this time is crucial”.

The statement was published along with an article by Federal Supreme Court’s (STF) Justice Luiz Fux, released in the newspaper O Globo, in which he appeals to the magistrates saying that “it’s time to listen to Science”. Moro made a point of highlighting an excerpt from Fux’s text: “The passive virtue of judges and the modesty of acknowledging, in many instances, the lack of expertise in relation to the Covid-19 is on the table”.

The federal government has lost a battle considered expensive to Bolsonaro against governors and mayors. Although Bolsonaro advocates vertical isolation, only for the elderly and people with illnesses, states and municipalities continue to adopt quarantine as a measure to control the advance of Covid-19.

Last week, Rio’s courts toppled Bolsonaro’s decision to reopen temples and lottery houses. A further defeat was inflicted when STF Justice Marco Aurélio Mello ruled that governors and mayors may determine local restrictions on transportation. The decision overturned an article from the Provisional Measure restricting the federal government from determining which services are essential.

On Sunday, Bolsonaro said he had an “insight” to issue a decree to release “any and all occupations” to work. Legal aides have alerted the president that individual decisions by the federal, state, and municipal governments can lead to a string of lawsuits challenging each other’s measures. They are trying to persuade Bolsonaro that reaching a consensus with governors and mayors is more effective.

However, the President is unconvinced. In his opinion, Moro, who he considers the most experienced and the most popular Minister, should assist the government in the legal dispute. The President’s inference is that Moro, by choosing not to help the government on issues directly related to his portfolio, proves he only acts if it gives him political leverage. Moro has already signed decrees to restrict the entrance of foreigners into the country.

The assessment in the circle closest to Bolsonaro is that Minister André Luiz Mendonça, of the Solicitor General’s Office (AGU), although technically well prepared, is politically shy and has fallen short of the President’s expectations in the war that became the coronavirus crisis. Minister Jorge Oliveira, of the General Secretariat of the Presidency and responsible for the Sub-Chief of Legal Affairs (SAJ), even having a family relationship with the President, has adopted a restrained stance. According to Bolsonaro, the legal aspect is lacking direction.

Source: O Estado de S. Paulo