Thousands of people gathered on Tuesday in Brasilia outside Brazil's Congress to protest against the austerity plan of President Michel Temer and against what they see as attempts to shield corrupt politicians. Student groups and labor unions organized the demonstration to coincide with a debate in the Senate on Temer's proposal for a constitutional amendment that would cap public spending for 20 years.
Brazil's President Michel Temer promised Sunday during a press conference he would step in should legislators under suspicion of corruption make an attempt to grant themselves any sort of amnesty, in what was perceived as a move by th Executive to sweep away much of the untrustworthiness it has brought upon itself as scandals kept surfacing in recent months.
A Brazilian minister resigned on Friday amid allegations that he enlisted President Michel Temer's help to pressure a fellow Cabinet member to approve a luxury apartment development project in a preservation zone. The announcement feeds a growing scandal over alleged misuse of power that threatens Temer's presidency only six months after he replaced a predecessor ousted from office by Congress — and at a time corruption investigations have tarred many senior politicians.
Brazilian ex-President Dilma Rousseff's (PT) defense team attached to the case against her slate at the Superior Electoral Court, TSE, documents revealing that R$ 1 million (US$ 320.000) which construction company Andrade Guitierrez donated to her re-election campaing in 2014 went through the account of who was then Vice Presidential candidate Michel Temer (PMDB).
Brazil's aircraft manufacturer Embraer has agreed to pay some US$205 million to settle corruption charges involving sales of military and civil airplanes to four customers. records to conceal illicit payments.
Authorities say they have arrested four Congressional police agents posted inside Brazil's Senate for allegedly obstructing an investigation into lawmakers' suspected involvement in the corruption-kickback scheme at state-owned oil company Petrobras. Federal police said in a statement that those arrested Friday include Pedro Carvalho, head of the Senate police, which is a distinct agency.
Brazilians expressed their disenchantment and frustration on Sunday's municipal elections punishing parties involved in the major corruption schemes and political disputes as the country's economy has plunged into the worst economic recession almost a century including the loss of millions of jobs.
Brazilian Senator Gleisi Hoffmann and her husband, Paulo Bernardo Silva, who both served in the ousted government of former President Dilma Rousseff, were indicted on Tuesday by the Supreme Court on corruption and money laundering charges in the Petrobras graft investigation.
A medical doctor by training, Antonio Palocci was Brazilian former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's finance minister and a key player in the 2002 election campaign that put the union and PT (Workers Party) leader in the presidential seat.
Brazilian presidents Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff former Presidential Chief of Staff and Finance Minister Antonio Palocci was temporarily arrested on Monday morning in São Paulo as part of the 35th phase of the Lava Jato (Car Wash) Operation investigating the Petrobras corruption scandal.