Good morning! Congress steps into the feud between President Bolsonaro and the Supreme Court. Unusual Twitter trends. And the cost of ineffective infrastructure initiatives.
Congress wants Supreme Court compromise
The future of lawmaker Daniel Silveira remains uncertain. Last week, the member of Congress was convicted to almost nine years in prison for threatening Supreme Court justices but was quickly pardoned by President Jair Bolsonaro — what exactly will happen to him and to the country’s institutions is anyone’s guess at this point.
- On Tuesday, Congress stepped into the feud between the Executive and Judiciary branches — making themselves part of the crisis.
Context. The Supreme Court’s decision would see Mr. Silveira lose his congressional seat and political rights, and be sent to prison. According to one Supreme Court justice this week, Mr. Bolsonaro’s pardon frees Mr. Silveira from any jail time, but the other punishments remain.
- The heads of the House and Senate now say it is exclusively up to Congress to decide on the impeachment of its members. That reflects a negotiation between the Legislative branch and the Supreme Court.
What it means. Instead of going to prison, losing his office and his political rights, Mr. Silveira may face the...