The corruption scandal known as operation Car Wash (Lava Jato) has unravelled a huge political crisis not only in Brazil where it all began, but throughout Latin America. The revelations in Brazil however are particularly astonishing due to their implication of two ex-presidents and many other high-position government employees.
In 2018, ex-president Lula was sentenced to 18 years in prison as part of this scandal. Since then, many have accused ex-federal judge in charge of the case and current Justice Minister, Sergio Moro, as using operation Car Wash as a political weapon to prevent the Worker's Party (PT) from returning to power.
Operation Car Wash which began in 2014, has unveiled around 400 corruption accusations, has imprisoned former president of the PT Lula da Silva, and has provoked the impeachment of another former president of the PT Dilma Rouseff. On the contrary, very little was done to investigate and try right-wing ex-president Michel Temer who has also been seriously involved in the scandal. As a consequence, the theory that we could be before a political persecution is based on these discrepancies.
