Good morning! Who is Augusto Aras, Brazil’s soon-to-be prosecutor general. The government launches a stimulus package to lower unemployment rates. Brazil and Argentina renew deal for auto industry—postponing free trade. One year of the stabbing attack against Jair Bolsonaro.
Augusto Aras, Jair Bolsonaro’s pick for prosecutor general
President Jair Bolsonaro has finally made his choice for prosecutor general, picking electoral law expert Augusto Aras for the job. If he is confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Aras will be in office for the next two years (he could be nominated for multiple terms, though).
Why it matters. The prosecutor general is responsible for ensuring the rule of law and defending the “diffuse interests” of Brazilian society (in areas such as the environment, public property, cultural heritage, human rights, and the protection of children, senior citizens, and indigenous communities).
- He is also the only one who can carry out investigations against (and propose the indictment of) the president.
Criteria. Over the past few months, Mr. Aras’ public demeanor has seemed to sway in accordance with signs given by the president. When Mr. Bolsonaro said he wouldn’t pick an “environmentalist radical,” Mr. Aras said that he wouldn’t be an obstacle to development.
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