As discussed in a number of previous posts about Brazil, the Federal Supreme Court is the most powerful institutional force that opposes President Jair Bolsonaro. Alexandre de Moraes is a justice of the Supreme Court, and he also happens to be the president of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE).
Earlier this week Mr. De Moraes, acting on behalf of the TSE, denied a lawsuit filed by President Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party (PL) that questioned the legitimacy of the result of the recent presidential election. The PL had alleged that irregularities in the functioning of some of the voting machines demonstrated that the final tally was fraudulent.
Silas Malafaia is a Pentecostal televangelist in Brazil. In the following video Pastor Malafaia delivers a spirited rant about Alexandre de Moraes and his decision on the PL lawsuit.
Many thanks to José Atento for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes and RAIR Foundation for the subtitling:
Video transcript:
| 00:01 | Blessed people of Brazil. The “Toga Dictator”, | |
| 00:04 | Alexandre de Moraes, with his most recent act, has just completed an institutional | |
| 00:09 | rupture in our country. Do you know when that happens? When one of the powers of the Republic | |
| 00:13 | does not obey legal commands. | |
| 00:16 | What this guy has done is an affront | |
| 00:19 | to the people, the constitution and the laws. | |
| 00:22 | And I have spoken here over and over again. Now, the Absurdity of Absurdities, the | |
| 00:28 | president of the PL [Liberal Party, Partido Liberal] files a lawsuit | |
| 00:31 | at the TSE [Electoral Tribunal], and look at the response of this cretin: | |
| 00:36 | in mockery, he fines the PL 22 million, | |
| 00:39 | Bolsonaro’s election number. He puts the party president | |
| 00:44 | in a Digital Militia Inquiry. People, | |
| 00:48 | this is an affront to the constitution and | |
| 00:52 | resolutions of the TSE. The constitution, | |
| 00:55 | in its first article, says that power emanates | |
| 00:58 | from the people and those who represent them, Legislative and Executive. The judiciary does not | |
| 01:03 | represent the people. The President of | |
| 01:06 | the Republic can invoke Article 142. | |
| 01:10 | I am not going to read it to save time. | |
| 01:13 | He can invoke and bring order to this | |
| 01:17 | mess that this dictator has been promoting. Now pay attention; this is what | |
| 01:22 | I’m going to tell you. TSE resolution 23673. You can read article 5, | |
| 01:29 | article 6, 51, I’m going to read article 86 which says | |
| 01:34 | “In the event of a lawsuit relating to the voting | |
| 01:37 | or counting system, the judicial authority will designate the day and time | |
| 01:41 | for a public hearing to be held, summoning the complaining party, coalition | |
| 01:44 | or federation, the public ministry, the Brazilian Bar Association, and other | |
| 01:48 | interested persons, at which time a sample of the electronic ballot boxes will be | |
| 01:53 | chosen and separated within 24 hours.” He, alone, | |
| 01:59 | denied. I ask, what about the other | |
| 02:03 | TSE ministers playing the role of | |
| 02:06 | clowns, kneeling before a dictator like that? | |
| 02:10 | And will the justices of the Supreme Court remain silent? | |
| 02:14 | What about the Legislative Power, which is being affronted? MPs and senators, | |
| 02:19 | it is an affront. Senators, | |
| 02:23 | you have to impeach this guy. Stop all hearings. | |
| 02:29 | Stop everything in the senate, until | |
| 02:32 | an impeachment is voted. This guy needs to be arrested. | |
| 02:35 | Do you know why? Because he is highly dangerous for the democratic rule of law. | |
| 02:40 | It is a shame, what we are seeing | |
| 02:44 | in Brazil. It’s a break. Is it a shame, | |
| 02:47 | and are we going to remain silent? And are we going to accept that one man brings | |
| 02:53 | the country to its knees and mocks the people and institutions? Here is my protest | |
| 02:58 | and my indignation. May God have mercy on Brazil. |
I have great respect for Brazilians. I only wish Americans had the same gusto.