Lula's government fires 103 officials for corruption in Brazil

Brasilia, July 11 (RHC)-- The government of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva fired, in the first six months of his administration, 103 public officials involved in corruption cases, reveals Veja magazine.

According to the publication, there are still a large number of people in line to face consequences.  The processes are accompanied by the Office of the Comptroller General of the Union (CGU), which set aside thousands of employees discovered committing crimes in public service.

During his administration (2019-2022), former president Jair Bolsonaro expelled 1,934 employees from the administrative machine, most of the cases being related to irregularities, according to CGU data.

However, a study conducted by the São Paulo School of Business Administration of the Getulio Vargas Foundation and by the University of Brasilia reveals that Bolsonaro increased the use of formal repressive measures against public officials.  Similarly, he tested strategies in certain organizations to replicate them in others, in case of success.

The CGU is responsible for the internal control of the federal government. Its attributions include defending public assets, preventing and combating corruption, as well as improving transparency in management.

Its newly created Private Integrity Secretariat promotes good practices in the personal sector to prevent irregularities.

Last September, 69 percent of Brazilians considered that corruption existed in Bolsonaro's government, according to a survey by the Datafolha Institute.

During his campaign for reelection, the former military officer, who was a presidential candidate of the Liberal Party, intensified lying accusations against former president and candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, candidate of the Workers' Party (PT).  He said that the former Army captain lied recurrently when referring to corruption.

The acts of the scourge involving the Bolsonaro clan and his Executive abounded throughout his mandate.  In the family sphere, there are cases such as the rachadinhas, practiced by one of his sons, i.e. the transfer of part of the salaries of the advisors to the parliamentarian or secretary based on a pre-established agreement or as a requirement for the function.

On the administrative side, the illegal trafficking in the Ministry of Health involving vaccines and the allegations of diversion of public resources in the association between the former Minister of Education Milton Ribeiro and pastors Gilmar Santos and Arilton Moura, sent to the former official at Bolsonaro's request.