We’re covering the Car Wash leaks. How the pension reform is processing in Congress. And the exit of foreign investors from Brazil.
The Car Wash leaks, explained
On Sunday evening, news website The Intercept published a series of reports based on private messages exchanged between Operation Car Wash prosecutors and then-federal judge Sergio Moro and leaked by a source. The website says their reports bear no relation to the recent phone hacking of Justice Minister Sergio Moro. As the journalists also had access to conversations between prosecutors only (not limited to Mr. Moro), that seems to be true.
The tone of the messages exchanged between prosecutors prove their disdain for the Workers’ Party—and their delight in keeping former President Lula from running for a third term. The leaks should leave an indelible dent on the operation’s image, which prosecutors always tried to portray as “apolitical.” There is an important caveat, however: as far as yesterday’s reports go, there is no indication of forged evidence. The waters get muddier when it comes to how Mr. Moro acted throughout the case.
Why it matters. Unlike in some countries, judges in Brazil don’t play a part in investigation efforts. They are supposed to...