"The trees
of the forest were looking for a king to rule over them, they questioned the
fig tree, the olive tree and the vine, saying," You rule over us. "
All declined, then questioned the hawthorn, you reign over us? Who accepted at
once and exclaimed: Come and trust me under my shadow ... " *
Nowadays, Brazil is experiencing
a turbulent period in the history of a recent democracy that is undergoing hard
trials. These latest events involving on all sides, has now reached the heart
of government and reaches its highest staff member: the Republic´s President.
Every day the press notices a head rolling on the guillotine of the
award-winning collaboration. (delação premiada)
The times resemble the guillotine
of the era of terror in France of Robespierre, that had executed no less than
King Luis XVI and Danton among other heads that rolled in the hands of the
revolutionary Jacobins. Finally, they cut off his own head. The moment is
troubling for Brazil, which is starting to emerge from a tremendous economic downturn,
with the economic team working hard to tame the inflation and reducing the
interest rate.
There are so many vague interests
revolving at the Presidents chair and the Republic that no one knows where and with
whom the truth is. “The truth is on the hights”, Voltaire said. However, we are
looking for it down here, and until we find it we are content with alternative
facts or verisimilitude. The President is accused of being crooked and right,
but there are contradictions in a recording that deserves care, as experts
agree that it has been edited in some sections, as reported in local
newspapers.
The presumption of innocence
prevails in the democratic state of law and in the Brazilian legal system, and
favors those who are being accused. Now, who is interested in the removal of a
President who has assumed in unusual circunstancies from an impeachment? Even if
the presidente is convicted by TSE(Tribunal Superior Eleitoral), must be
embraced the default rule, i.e, the new President shall be elected by the
congress, as per stated in the brazilian Federal Constitution.
President Temer, who, by the way,
has the lowest rate of popular acceptance in Brazil history, nevertheless, is
not failing to carry out the necessary reforms that the country needs to get
back on its course and move towards economic growth, generating Employment and
income. Why, at this moment, do such recordings appear? Causing real economic
chaos and volatility to markets, increasing immense political uncertainty.
Could the country hold another
round of "impeachment" with its weakened economy today, how would the
investors look to Brazil with another collapse of a
deposed president. Certainly, no penny would enter the country on the part of
foreign investments. Of course the investigations must be continue and the jet
lag (lava jato) is providing important and great services to the country,
changing the way of develop business between the private sector and the utility
companies. However the Institutions, the pillars of Republic, must be
preserved.
However, despite of these spate,
the moment demands a lot of caution and vetting from the authorities,
politicians, civil society, press, all the persons producing contents and
“think tanks” in social media. Otherwise, we are laying the groundwork for a
claim "reign among us." Now a question remains, does hawthorn produce
or offer any shade? Consider this.
Paulo Silvano
Lawyer
paulosilvano.juridico@gmail.com
* Jotham, son of Gideon, one of the Judges that set
free the Israel people. Judges 9.7-15