Corruption arrests down under Bolsonaro: who’s to blame?

Data obtained under Brazil's access to information law shows that corruption-related arrests fell last year to their lowest level since 2008. Experts and officials disagree over where the problem lies

corruption President Jair Bolsonaro during an event at the Federal Police headquarters. Photo: Alan Santos/PR — President Jair Bolsonaro during an event at the Federal Police headquarters. Photo: Alan Santos/PR

Feb 16, 2022 7:28 5 min read

Despite successfully running for Brazil’s president in 2018 on an anti-corruption platform, Jair Bolsonaro’s record on the matter is less than stellar. Roughly one year ago, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) set up a monitoring group to oversee developments in Brazil’s anti-corruption agenda, with Transparency International pointing out setbacks in the fight against corruption under the current government.

“Political interference in law enforcement institutions is at a high in Brazil, with significant setbacks to the autonomy of the Prosecutor’s Office, Federal Police, and Judiciary,” said the NGO in a comprehensive report delivered to the OECD in...

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Corruption arrests down under Bolsonaro: who’s to blame?

Data obtained under Brazil's access to information law shows that corruption-related arrests fell last year to their lowest level since 2008. Experts and officials disagree over where the problem lies

Access all of The Brazilian Report

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