The Intercept’s Olympics Guide for Identifying Brazil’s New Leaders

With the 2016 Summer Olympics officially opening today in Rio de Janeiro, the world’s eyes will be on the nation of Brazil. Ever since the actual, legitimate, democratically elected president, Dilma Rousseff, was suspended in April pending a final impeachment vote scheduled for later this month, there has been a new set of political leaders who rule the country — from the very same center and right-wing parties, and often the very same people, who were repeatedly rejected by voters as they sought to obtain the political power they now, without an election, are fortunate enough to wield.

Beyond the anti-democratic means they used to seize power, Brazil’s new leaders — most of whom were also key plotters in Rousseff’s removal — are themselves the targets of serious corruption investigations, drowning in all sorts of official allegations. Given that impeachment was justified based on the need to fight corruption, that is an ironic fact indeed (despite the high number of politicians in Dilma’s party implicated in these personal corruption scandals, including her predecessor, Lula da Silva, she herself never has been). Thanks to the legal “privilege” high-level Brazilian officials have gifted themselves — whereby they can only be tried by the nation’s Supreme Court, which is so backlogged that it will be many, many years before that is remotely possible — most of these corruption scandals are unlikely to be legally adjudicated for some time. In most cases, officials have denied their own guilt, though the accusations are based in credible evidence.

The corruption scandals plaguing Brazil’s new leaders are so widespread that it is often hard to keep track of, so The Intercept is publishing a guide to help identity them as they emerge and appear throughout the Olympics:

Photo illustrations by The Intercept:

• Accused of receiving 5 million reals from construction firm OAS
• Banned by court for running for any office for eight years for violating campaign finance law
• Three of his ministers resigned due to corruption scandals in five weeks of governing
• Cited 12 times in secret list of construction giant Camargo Correia, next to amounts totaling $345,000
• Formally accused of requesting 1.5 million reals in illegal campaign funds for his party

• Accused by executives of construction firm OAS as part of plea agreement
• Despite failed attempts to hide it, his name was revealed in police reports monitoring the phone calls of imprisoned construction magnate Marcelo Odebrecht

• Target of eight Lava Jato investigations for his alleged involvement in corruption schemes at Petrobras
• Investigated by Operation Zelotes on suspicion of selling budgetary amendments
• Named by owner of construction firm UTC for receiving 1.5 million reals in kickbacks
• Accused by the Public Ministry of having the expenses of a lover paid with bribe money from construction company Mendes Junior
• Attorney general requested his immediate imprisonment in June on grounds he was obstructing investigation, but Supreme Court refused

  

• Was caught, in recordings, conspiring to obstruct Lava Jato investigation and plotting Dilma’s impeachment: forced to resign as Temer’s minister
• With Senate President Renan, was cited by owner of UTC for also receiving 1.5 million reals in kickbacks
• Investigated by Operation Zelotes for allegedly receiving 15 million reals to secure approval of amendments for benefit of auto industry
• Attorney general requested his immediate imprisonment in June on grounds he was obstructing investigation, but Supreme Court refused

• Suspended by Supreme Court from House presidency shortly after presiding over Dilma’s impeachment vote on charges of bribery, obstruction of justice, and lying about secret Swiss bank accounts
• Accused of having received at least 5 million reals in bribes from a Petrobras-related affiliate
• After formally telling Congress he had no foreign bank accounts, millions in Swiss banks were found under his control
• According to plea statement of construction executive, received 52 million reals in kickbacks from construction firms

• Cited by owner of UTC as having received 500,000 reals in bribes for his Senate campaign for securing Petrobras contracts

• Target of investigation over alleged participation in massive corruption scheme involving energy company Furnas
• According to ex-senator and oil industry executive, received 1 million reals in kickbacks
• As governor of Minas Gerais, built an airport inside the farm of a relative at a total of 14 million reals

Photo Illustration by The Intercept. Photos: Temer: Sentinela Lacerdista; Serra: Twitter; Renan: Facebook; Jucá: Twitter; Cunha: Creative Commons; Nunes: GGN; Neves: Twitter