Brazil's leader mounts defense to save his presidency

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press


Peter Prengaman and Stan Lehman, Associated Press Updated 7:27 pm, Saturday, May 20, 2017


RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Fighting to save his job amid a mushrooming corruption scandal, Brazilian President Michel Temer told the nation Saturday that an incriminating audio recording of him had been doctored.

"That clandestine recording was manipulated and doctored with (bad) intentions," Temer said at a news conference in capital of Brasilia.

Temer said he had filed a petition with the Supreme Federal Tribunal, the country's highest court, to suspend the corruption investigation into him until experts can analyze the audio that appears to show him endorse the payment of bribes to ex-House Speaker Eduardo Cunha for his silence.

. . .

Temer's speech failed to impress patrons watching him on television in a Rio restaurant.
"I still don't believe him," said cultural producer Aline Veiga. "He is a coup plotter. We have to keep fighting for our democracy."

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/President-s-scandal-has-Brazilians-pondering-new-11160618.php

[sandensea]

1. Having judges' planes downed won't save Temer now.

My guess is that he'll resign and seek refuge in neighboring Argentina - whose right-wing president is also facing massive corruption inquiries of his own.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Did a quick check after seeing your reference to judges in airplane accidents. Amazing!

No mechanical issues in plane crash that killed judge in Brazil corruption scandal

Flight recordings suggested there was no equipment malfunction, fuelling intense speculation over the cause of the incident that killed Teori Zavascki

Brazil supreme court justice overseeing vast corruption case dies in plane crash

This article is 4 months old

Jonathan Watts in Rio de Janeiro
Tuesday 24 January 2017 15.54 EST

The plane crash that killed the supreme court justice at the centre of Brazil’s biggest corruption scandal was not caused by mechanical problems, according to a preliminary analysis of flight recordings that will further fuel already intense speculation over the cause of the incident.

Communications by the pilot suggested there was no sense of panic inside the cockpit before the small-turbo prop plunged into the sea off Rio de Janeiro State last Thursday, killing all five people aboard.

The most prominent of the victims was Teori Zavascki, who had been overseeing Operation Lava Jato (Car Wash), a politically explosive investigation of bribery and corrupt links between senior politicians and Brazil’s biggest corporations, notably the oil firm Petrobras and construction company Odebrecht.

Zavascki had just returned from vacation and was shortly due to rule on the eligibility of plea bargain testimonies by 77 Odebrecht executives, which are thought likely to implicate many of the most powerful figures in Brazil and its Latin American neighbours.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/24/brazil-corruption-teori-zavascki-plane-crash-investigation

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This incident is no small matter, is it? It should give anyone instant awareness there are some people who take politics very seriously, the greedy criminals who intend to live like super-wealthy predators, at the public's total expense.

[Lucky Luciano]

2. Temer will probably have to step down.

This is according to the former head economist for emerging markets at the IMF who focuses a lot of his efforts on Brazil.

[Judi Lynn]

4. A lot of Brazilian citizens are ready for him to go immediately,

have been calling for him to leave for months.

He should listen to them.