Allies of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defend behind the scenes that the government act with caution in reacting to the decision of Minister André Mendonça, of the Supreme Federal Court (STF), to remove Andrei Rodrigues from the position of director-general of the Federal Police. The guidance is to avoid any reaction that may appear to be an alignment of Lula with Minister Alexandre de Moraes.
The concern of the president's interlocutors is that an off-tone response may suggest that Lula is on the side of Moraes, who is close to Andrei Rodrigues and an adversary of Mendonça on the Court. This association could have a direct electoral impact on the Workers' Party member, since Moraes faces suspicions regarding his relationship with former banker Daniel Vorcaro.
Another assessment made behind the scenes is that a very strong reaction, with statements and attacks, could turn Mendonça into a victim, benefiting the STF minister. Therefore, the strategy adopted was to use an institutional body to mark a position, without direct confrontation.
On Tuesday, the Office of the Attorney General of the Union (AGU) filed a motion with the president of the STF, Edson Fachin, requesting the suspension of the director-general of the PF's removal. The body argues that the measure interferes with an attribution of the president of the Republic and may harm the functioning of the institution.
