Heads of Brazil’s government branches agreed to meet to discuss relations

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Confirmed by the advisory office of Federal Supreme Court Chief Justice Luiz Fux, the meeting would be attended by President Bolsonaro, Fux, and the presidents of the Chamber of Deputies Arthur Lira and the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco.

[BREAKING NEWS: President Bolsonaro entered hospital Wednesday morning (14) for examinations “to determine the cause of constant hiccoughs”, so the meeting has been cancelled.]

Fux received Bolsonaro at the Supreme Court on Monday (12) for a meeting in which he stressed the importance of respecting institutions and the limits imposed by the Federal Constitution for Brazilian democracy, he said after the meeting.

The atmosphere between Bolsonaro and the Judicial branch has become more heated and reached critical levels last week, after the president reiterated the possibility of not holding elections, should Congress fail to pass a bill to introduce the printed ballot.

Raising allegations that there was fraud in past elections, albeit providing no evidence, the president also suggested that the next election would be compromised and added that he would not pass the symbolic sash to the winner should he consider that the dispute was not clean.

Bolsonaro chose the president of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), STF Justice Luís Roberto Barroso, as his preferred target. The president accused Barroso last week of interfering in Congress and acting against the printed ballot prompted by personal interests.