Brazil’s election had a rough but expected outcome, Jair Bolsonaro was elected for president. He hasn’t begun his presidential term yet, but even from behind the political scene of Brazil he has already managed to cause trouble.
His campaigns, now and before the elections always circled around corruption, about how he and his family are “decent and honest” people and that he was unlike any other politician in the Brazilian scenery. That speech conquered a great part of his voters, who truly believed in his power to exorcize the robbery and injustice out of the country by making him Brazil’s president.
It saddens the country though, to realize (a little bit late) that his promises were founded in half-lies and well-hidden corruption. Instead of having a clean record, Bolsonaro just knew exactly the people who could disguise it well for him and the exact words he would have to say to make his stained past “irrelevant” and “invisible” to the eyes of his voters.
The proof of that is his numerous connections with (for instance) corrupted political parties such as “Partido Progressista,” which he was a part of and is known to be one of the political parties that were most investigated in the “Lava Jato” (an operation against corruption). There’s also the fact that he paid his campaign travel expenses with public money and many other cases where the future president of Brazil is clearly related with all the things his campaign swore to end.
The president and his family’s relations with corruption did not stop, though, when he was elected. Just about a week ago, Coaf (Brazil’s Financial Activities control council) pointed out that Flávio Bolsonaro’s ex-driver (Fabrício Queiroz) handled more than R$ 1,2 million in suspicious operations, and with that money gave a check worth R$ 24 thousand to the future first lady. In regards to this check, Jair Bolsonaro said: “I lent money to him [Queiroz] on other occasions, in that last one, he had a financial problem and an accumulated debt he had with me”, he also said: “I hope this process, once established, will explain itself. There are traces that the Justice will add to other possible traces to analyze whether he is guilty or not”. On the other hand, Flávio Bolsonaro defended his ex-driver, making the following statement on his Twitter account: “Fabricio Queiroz has worked with me for over ten years and has always been trustworthy. I never knew anything that would discourage his conduct. In October he was exonerated, on request, to deal with his move to inactivity. I am sure he will give you all the clarifications.”
Given that the whole Coaf operation has still to be fully investigated and clarified, it is not completely certain of its illegality. But, it still is undeniably worrisome that in such little time of the election there has already been some possible corruption related to the family of Jair Bolsonaro.
Brazil should be extremely concerned about its future. With a president with the precedents that Jair Bolsonaro has and his prejudiced positions in various topics, the country is sure to embark on rough waters. Instead of hoping for a better future, Brazilians will now have to fight more than ever for the guarantee of it. Let it be known, Brazil will not stay quiet.
