Brazil: Pernambuco's first indigenous chief Mayor denounces lawfare

teleSUR English

The now-disgraced operation Car Wash may be over, but the tactics taught to prosecutors and judges, through an illegal partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice are still being used to try to destroy progressive governments. In Brazil, our correspondent Brian Mier has more.

Transcript

00:00And the now disgraced operation car wash may be over, but the tactics taught to

00:04prosecutors and judges through an illegal partnership with the U.S.

00:07Department of Justice are still being used to try to destroy progressive

00:11governments. In Brazil, a correspondent brand new has more. Six months after

00:18taking control of Pesquera Pernambuco, the Xucuru indigenous leaders running a

00:22local government are complaining that political enemies are applying similar

00:26lawfare tactics to those imported from the United States during the criminal

00:29persecution of Lula da Silva to sabotage their administration.

00:35Once again the criminalization of the Xucuru people is intensifying. This

00:40becomes especially clear when comparing similar legal actions here in

00:45Pernambuco and across the country. The patterns in how these cases unfold and how

00:50they're portrayed in the media reveal striking parallels. The process seems

00:54standardized, echoing tactics seen in larger scale operations. It reminds me

00:59of strategies used in operation car wash under Sergio Moro. Chief Marcos was first elected

01:05mayor in 2020, but enemies resuscitated a 20-year-old conviction for property damage

01:10during a protest to bar him from office. Months later the courts admitted judicial

01:15error and annulled his conviction, enabling him to run in 2024. But since taking

01:21office, conservative enemies have filed arbitrary charges for accounting errors that

01:25occurred during the previous government, forcing him to temporarily step down for

01:29the month of April during a frivolous investigation.

01:32Stepping down for a month was legally unusual. We believe it was unnecessary, but we

01:39respected that decision and we have complied with all the court orders. I believe that if

01:45these procedures are carried out normally, we'll not only be able to run this government, according to the goals set by Mayor

01:52Marcus and his team and their plan for the city, but he will prove his innocence once again.

01:58This isn't the only instance in which U.S. DOJ tactics taught to the Operation Car Wash Task Force have been used to damage

02:06political enemies at the local level. In 2019, 23 frivolous corruption charges were filed against former Paraíba governor

02:14Ricardo Cochino. It took him three years to prove his innocence, but that damage to his image led to his losing an election.

02:21Mayor Marcos, however, remains optimistic.

02:25In the heart of the 21st century, we are achieving many victories. We have taken on a great level of

02:36protagonism in this state and this nation. Unfortunately, the state and some people still don't understand the importance of this.

02:46With Mayor Marcos back in office for over a month, the Shukuru government has overcome its first hurdle,

02:52but the five-hundred-year fight for autonomy continues. Brian Muir, Telesur, Pescara, Pernambuco.

02:59Yet, finally, since 19th century.

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