Congressional inquiries make up for their limited powers with their very public nature, being more suited to political point-scoring than real accountability
On January 8, the eyes of the world turned to Brazil as hordes of far-right supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed and vandalized the buildings that house the Brazilian Supreme Court, Congress, and the presidential palace in Brasília.
They were protesting the presidential election results from a few months earlier, in which Mr. Bolsonaro narrowly lost to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Despite a complete lack of evidence, they claimed that the vote had been rigged.
The government's response to the riots was swift, arresting more than 1,400 people at the scene and launching a federal intervention in the security apparatus of the capital, Brasília.
There were also calls to open a congressional inquiry to investigate the riots, but the Lula government quickly warned against such a move, preferring that investigations be handled by prosecutors and courts, not in the political theater of Congress. The government has since shifted its position, and a select committee to investigate the January 8 riots is due to be created shortly.
Congressional inquiries, commonly referred to as CPIs in Brazil, make up for their limited powers with their very public nature, being more suited to
political point-scoring than actual accountability.
In this episode:
- Cedê Silva is The Brazilian Report's Brasília correspondent. In addition to his journalism degree, Cedê holds a BA in international relations and covers Brazilian politics and international affairs.
Listen and subscribe to our podcast from your mobile device:
Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Deezer
This episode used music from Uppbeat. License codes: Aspire by Pryces (B6TUQLVYOWVKY02S). Curiosity and Creep by All Good Folks (HDG08NGGWJRBMY5W and D87XR9INNJUMASPU, respectively).
