Former President of Brazil Fernando Henrique Cardoso Reaffirms Support for Lava Jato Corruption Investigations

Earlier today, former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso reaffirmed on his Facebook page his support for the Car Wash criminal investigations on massive corruption in Brazil, following the recent publication of confessions by senior Odebrecht executives as part of a plea bargain agreement:

In my last statement in this space, I insisted that it was time to show the cards: I did not and do not participate in any negotiations with President Temer or with former President Lula to halt or water down the effects of Lava Jato Investigations. Any information or insinuation  to the contrary is a falsehood.

The ongoing investigations have to continue. I have nothing to fear from them. Just listening to the complete statements in Emilio Odebrecht’s testimony to prosecutors proves that there are no references to illicit acts during my presidential campaigns of 1994 and 1998.

Having said that, I would like to reiterate that the country faces a very serious crisis with unpredictable economic and social consequences. The situation affects all Brazilians concerned with democracy.

The crumbling of the of political party order and distortions of the electoral system make urgent a dialogue involving the political world and society at large.

A dialogue about the national interest is the opposite of deals pursued in the shadows.  It has to be conducted out in the open in order to rebuild the moral foundations of Brazilian politics.

To read the original post in Portguese, click here.

Image credit: Agencia Brasil/Flickr.