Moraes versus Mendonça: behind the scenes of the 'civil war' within the STF

Minister André Mendonça's decision to remove the secrecy classification from a Federal Police report on alleged messages sent by banker Daniel Vorcaro to Minister Alexandre de Moraes exposed a rivalry that had been silently perceived in the corridors of the Supreme Federal Court. The episode revealed what has been called a "civil war" within the highest court in the country.

Mendonça's measure, taken in his role as rapporteur of the case, provoked an immediate reaction from Alexandre de Moraes, who also serves on the court. The dispute between the two ministers gained public visibility as it moved from behind the scenes to the center of the country's legal and political attention.

Daniel Vorcaro, mentioned in the declassified report, is the banker whose communications would allegedly reveal contact with Moraes. The document, previously classified, became publicly accessible following Mendonça's decision, fueling speculation about the nature of the alleged relationship between the banker and the minister.

The case occurs at a time of heightened tension at the STF, where disagreements among ministers have become more frequent and explicit. The removal of secrecy by Mendonça represented an unexpected move within the court, intensifying tensions between different factions of the court and reigniting debates about the independence and internal functioning of the Supreme Court.