The Authoritarian Temptation of Dr. Fausto: “Dantas Judge Is Nazi-Inspired”

Dr. Fausto

As a Usenet discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one. –Godwin’s Law of Nazi Analogies

A raiz autoritária do juiz: In an unsigned editorial, the Estado de S. Paulo characterizes the judge in the Daniel Dantas case as having “authoritarian roots.”

A Constituição não é mais importante que o povo, os sentimentos e as aspirações do Brasil. É um modelo, nada mais que isso, contém um resumo das nossas idéias. Não é possível inverter e transformar o povo em modelo e a Constituição em representado. (…) A Constituição tem o seu valor naquele documento, que não passa de um documento; nós somos os valores, e não pode ser interpretado de outra forma: nós somos a Constituição, como dizia Carl Schmitt.”

“The Constitution is not more important than the people, the feelings and the aspirations of Brazil. It is a model, nothing more than this, it contains a summary of our ideals. It is not possible to invert the situation, making the people the model that represents the Constitution. … The values of the Constitution are embodied in this document, which is nothing more than a document; we ourselves are its values, and it cannot be interpreted in any other way. We are the Constitution, as Carl Schmitt used to say.”

Estas afirmações do juiz da 6ª Vara Criminal Federal Fausto De Sanctis – o polêmico responsável pelo processo em que o banqueiro Daniel Dantas é acusado de crimes financeiros e corrupção -, pronunciadas em badalada palestra no Rio, perante verdadeiro fã clube, dizem muito da origem do pensamento de um magistrado que tentou pôr em xeque – para não dizer desmoralizar – decisão da mais alta Corte de Justiça do País, quando mandou prender quem havia sido solto por liminar, 48 horas antes, proferida pelo presidente do STF.

These statements by Judge Fausto De Sanctis — the controversial magistrate who is presiding over the trial of Daniel Dantas on charges of financial crimes and corruption — pronounced in a highly publicized lecture in Rio that was delivered to a veritable fan club, tell us much about the origins of the thinking of a magistrate who attempted to checkmate — if not completely undermine — a decision of the highest court in the land when he issued an arrest warrant for a man who had been ordered released just 48 hours before by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Dantas’ Inferno: New Clues Ooze From “Rigorous Secrecy”

Queiroz: The leak-plagued investigator of the alleged illegal wiretapper Daniel Valente Dantas is investigated for illegally leaking wiretaps. How do we know this? Somebody leaked the leak investigation. Leaky leaky!

The report is voluminous, says an official who had access to it. This same official noted that the new evidence added to the case file deepens the investigation and significantly reinforce what had already been produced.

Nova investigação da PF acha mais indícios para incriminar Dantas: The Estado de S. Paulo reports that the continuation of the money laundering investigation against Daniel Valente Dantas of the Opportunity group is being conducted in “rigorous secrecy” and may shortly lead to an indictment.

The Estadão then proceeds to characterize the general tenor and quality of the ongoing investigation, based on an anonymous source.

I hate to belabor the obvious, but how “rigorous” can the “secrecy” of the proceeding be if the Estado purports to be getting this story to from an anonymous source who has had access to its preliminary findings?

A Polícia Federal chegou a novos indícios sobre atividades supostamente ilícitas envolvendo o banqueiro Daniel Dantas, alvo maior da Satiagraha – operação de combate a esquema de lavagem de capitais, evasão de divisas, fraudes financeiras e formação de quadrilha.

The Brazilian federal police have produced new evidence about the allegedly illegal activities of banker Daniel Dantas, principal target in the Satyagraha case — an investigation into money laundering, tax evasion, fraud and racketeering.

And corruption of a public official, let’s not forget that part.

Relatório parcial produzido pela PF e entregue à Justiça reforça as suspeitas sobre o controlador do Grupo Opportunity, que já havia sido formalmente indiciado em julho pelo delegado Protógenes Queiroz, mentor da Satiagraha.

A partial report produced by the feds and delivered to the court reinforces suspicions about the senior partner in the Opportunity Group, who had already been formally accused in July by lead federal investigator Queiroz.

The Estadão reporter issues this opinion without having actually read the report himself. It’s just hearsay, it turns out.

A DEA-less War on Bolivian Marching Powder?

Brasil lança com Bolívia estratégia regional antidroga: After Evo Morales kicks the DEA out of Bolivia, Brazil and its dirt-poor, extraordinarily rowdy neighbor announce a regional initiative of their own against the dreaded marching powder.

Morales, a former cocalero leader, had accused the DEA of not sticking to business, citing Plan Colombia as another example in which drug aid allegedly serves as a pretext for attempts to reengineer the political landscape to the specifications of Microsoft and other 21st century United Fruits and ITTs.

If Colombia is the main source of supply for North American crackheads, Bolivia, I believe I read, is the main source for the Brazilian domestic market.

And in terms of residual violence and social chaos, the Brazilian retail marching powder trade makes the Jamaicans look like Mormon missionaries.

O Brasil tentará competir com os Estados Unidos pela liderança no combate à produção de cocaína na América do Sul adotando abordagem criticada por Washington ou mesmo pela ONU: a que tolera o plantio de coca que, em tese, é totalmente destinado ao consumo tradicional nos Andes. Para tal, o governo brasileiro assina hoje um acordo com a Bolívia lançando uma estratégia regional contra as drogas, da qual também devem fazer parte Argentina, Peru e Chile.

Brazil will try to compete with the United States for leadership in combating the production of cocaine in South America, adopting an approach that has been criticized by Washington and the United Nations alike: It tolerates the planting of coca that, in theory, is dedicated to traditional forms of consumption in the Andes. To this end, the Brazilian government will today sign an accord with Bolivia that launches a regional antidrug strategy in which Argentina, Peru and Chile are also expected to take part.

The Tupi FTC: “Badin’s the Boy to Bust the Trusts!”

I read it in one of those newspapers today, the Jornal do Commercio (Rio), I think it was. That, for the time being, is how I pay the bills.

A posse do novo presidente do Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (Cade), Arthur Badin, acabou se transformando em ato de independência do órgão antitruste. Durante o evento, o ministro da Justiça, Tarso Genro, afirmou que os conselheiros não vão ceder a pressões indevidas ou corporativas ao julgar fusões e aquisições de empresas no período de crise internacional.

The swearing in of the new chairman of CADE, the Administrative Council on Economic Defense, Arthur Badin, wound up turning into a declaration of independence by the antritust regulator. During the ceremony, Justice minister Genro said that the commissioners will not cave in to improper or corporate [sic] pressures when sitting in judgment on mergers and acquisitions during the international financial crisis.

The sale of the Grupo Abril’s TVA cable TV operator to Telefônica has yet to be ruled on from the point of view of market concentration, I think I read, which is what first attracted my attention to the changing of the guard. This is a deal that a client might actually pay me to be interested in.

The Itaú-Unibanco merger is set for a decision by CADE on 21 November, I think I just read.

So little time, so much to know.

Para Genro, o trabalho do Cade deverá crescer com a crise externa, pois as empresas deverão alegar dificuldades de captação de créditos juntos aos bancos para justificar a realização de fusões. Outro problema que deve surgir, segundo o ministro, é o aumento de casos de cartel, já que, num período de perda de faturamento, algumas empresas podem tentar compensações através de acordos ilegais com concorrentes, como fixação de preços ou divisão de clientes.

In Genro’s view, CADE’s role should increase as a result of the crisis abroad, as companies allege difficulty obtaining bank credits in order to justify mergers. Another problem likely to emerge, the minister said, is an increase in cartel cases, since at a time when revenues are down, some companies will try to compensate by making illegal deals with competitors, such as price-fixing or divvying up their customer bases.