Professor Eloísa Machado, from the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV), warned that the so-called "fake news inquiry" and the decisions by ministers Alexandre de Moraes and André Mendonça at the Supreme Federal Court threaten to repeat the same damage caused by Operation Lava Jato to democratic institutions and the Brazilian electoral landscape. According to the specialist, the pattern of action of the two ministers has generated concern similar to what was observed during the operation.
Eloísa Machado considered the electoral timing with which the Master inquiry has promoted decisions that directly affect the democratic process to be serious. The professor pointed out that investigations into alleged electoral crimes committed by authorities are being conducted directly by the STF, raising questions about the separation of powers and judicial independence.
For the academic, the decisions made within the scope of this inquiry are surpassing the space for investigation of individual conduct. She assesses that the court itself and its competencies are being transformed into instruments capable of interfering in the electoral landscape, which would compromise the impartiality necessary for the Court's performance.
The analysis from the FGV professor suggests that the conduct of investigations and the effects of decisions made by Moraes and Mendonça in the weeks leading up to the electoral period represent a risk to the integrity of democratic institutions, comparing the situation to the negative impact that Lava Jato had on Brazilian politics in recent years.
