Brazil elections 2022: Next president can change the Supreme Court’s history, says Bolsonaro

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Friday, June 17, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro (Liberal Party – PL) said that he could change the “history” of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) in case of reelection.

He mentioned the two vacancies that will become available with the retirements of Justices Ricardo Lewandowski and Rosa Weber in 2023.

“Whoever gets elected president or gets reelected can appoint two new Justices next year. It will change the history of the Supreme Court,” the president said.

The statement was made in the Pará state capital, Belém, at the event celebrating the 111th anniversary of the Assembly of God church in Brazil.

Bolsonaro recalled the promise he made to evangelicals when he nominated minister André Mendonça to the STF.

“You know who the two I nominated are. One was a commitment made in 2017 to nominate a “terribly evangelical” Justice. André Mendonça has his flaws as a human being. He arrived, obviously, nominated by us, approved by the Senate, which was not easy. […] The system wanted another name,” he said.

Besides nominating Mendonça, who took office on December 16, 2021, Bolsonaro also nominated the minister Nunes Marques, on October 2, 2020 – he took office the following month, on November 5, 2020.

With information from Poder360