Brazil: in the midst of a crisis, the Minister of Justice Sergio Moro resigns

The Minister of Justice's resignation was greeted with a concert of saucepans in every major city in the country. EVARISTO SA / AFP

Text by: François Cardona

In Brazil, Justice Minister Sergio Moro, the former anti-corruption judge - after months of tension and disagreement with President Jair Bolsonaro, has resigned. Sergio Moro, much appreciated by Brazilians, decided to leave the government - while a week ago, it was the Minister of Health who had been dismissed by Jair Bolsonaro. In the midst of a coronavirus epidemic, which has killed more than 3,400 people, the political crisis is worsening.

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From our correspondent in Rio de Janeiro,

The Minister of Justice's resignation was greeted with a concert of saucepans in every major city in the country. The Brazilians, confined to their homes, went to their window, in the middle of the day, to protest against the departure of Sergio Moro. Very popular, the former anti-corruption judge, denounced in a press conference the "  political interference  " of Jair Bolsonaro, saying that the president had "  violated the promise of carte blanche  " he had made to him at the time of his entry into government.

It was the dismissal of the Director General of the Federal Police, desired by Jair Bolsonaro, which precipitated the departure of Sergio Moro from the Ministry of Justice.

His resignation further undermines the credibility of the government, which has already been widely criticized. Jair Bolsonaro fired his very popular health minister a week ago because he was in favor of confinement. The president continues to maintain his opposition to quarantine, to cope with the epidemic.

With the departure of Sergio Moro, the political crisis hitting the government becomes more and more worrying, as the Brazilian health system is collapsing in the face of the influx of patients. There have been over 400 deaths from the corona virus in the past 24 hours.

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  • Brazil
  • Jair Bolsonaro
  • Coronavirus

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