Bolsonaro: Top court justice nearly triggered institutional crisis

President Jair Bolsonaro said today (Apr. 30) the decision by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes to suspend the appointment of police chief Alexandre Ramagem as director-general of the Federal Police was politically motivated and “nearly” prompted an institutional crisis between branches.

“We nearly had an institutional crisis yesterday. We were so close. I urge everyone to abide by the Constitution,” he said. “I couldn’t swallow this decision of Mr. Alexandre de Moraes. I still can’t. This is not how you treat the head of the executive,” he pointed out while leaving the Alvorada presidential palace this Thursday morning.

The president also noted that his advisers will seek Moraes’s cabinet team in hopes the justice comes forth regarding Ramagem’s stay as director-general of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency, Abin, a position he has occupied since Bolsonaro took office.

“Will you remove Ramagem from Abin, [leaving vacant a post] as important as the director-general of the Federal Police? If he can’t be trusted to work in the Federal Police, he can’t work for Abin either. It’s a matter of coherence,” Bolsonaro said. “We want mutual respect between branches. So Mr. Alexandre de Moraes has to decide immediately whether Ramagem may or may not continue to lead Abin,” he added.

Ramagem is close to the president’s family and has worked in his personal security after his victory in the elections. “Friendship hasn’t been listed as reason to bar someone from taking office,” he said. “He’s a competent person according to the Federal Police themselves, hence the friendship connection. My personal security all but slept with me. And why can’t I honor someone I got to know this deeply? It’s a relationship based on confidence,” the president argued.

On Wednesday morning (29), Justice Alexandre de Moraes decided to suspend the decree that would nominate police chief Alexandre Ramagem as the new director-general of the Federal Police. In the ruling, the justice cites statements by former Justice Minister Sergio Moro, who left his post last week while accusing Bolsonaro of attempting to politically interfere in the police body.

After the decision, the president nullified Ramagem’s nomination. Today, Bolsonaro said that the Office of the Attorney-General of Brazil will appeal against Moraes’s ruling. Representatives from the Attorney-General’s Office, however, said they will not make comments on the matter for now.