How to Get Away With Murder, or at Least Corruption, in Brazil
- Around 40 percent of Congress probed over criminal charges
- Despite inquiries, lawmakers reluctant to censure colleagues
Demonstrators hold a large banner that reads 'Out Temer And All Your Reforms And Corruption' during a general strike against labor and retirement reforms in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 30, 2017.
Photographer: Dado Galdieri/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
It takes a lot to get thrown out of Brazil’s Congress.
Flagrant acts of bribery, violence and even murder have proved insufficient reasons for Brazilian legislators to strip their colleagues of office. In the latest example, senators protested vociferously last week after the Supreme Court ordered the expulsion of one of their own: Aecio Neves, a former presidential candidate accused of corruption. The Senate held a discussion on his case on Tuesday evening, but postponed a vote until Oct. 17.