Minister Edson Fachin, president of the Supreme Federal Court (STF), opened a plenary session of the Court with a statement about the nature of democratic debate. "Divergence is legitimate, personal confrontation is not," Fachin affirmed when starting the session that analyzes the future of Minister Alexandre de Moraes.
The session in question deals with an impeachment request against Moraes presented by the Liberal Party. The party argues that the minister should answer for abuse of authority in his decisions related to investigations probing attacks against democracy.
Fachin cited the trial of the January 8th acts as an example of when the Court "paid a price" for following the Constitution. On that occasion, the STF ministers were targets of intense criticism when they condemned the participants in the attacks on the headquarters of the Three Powers in Brasília.
The opening of the session represents a significant moment for the Court, which faces growing political tensions. The decision on the destiny of Moraes occurs in a context of polarization between the Executive and Judicial branches in Brazil.
