Bolsonaro says he did not mean to attack other branches

President Jair Bolsonaro released an official note Thursday (Sep. 9) in which he states he did not have the intention of attacking other branches and stresses he respects the harmony between institutions.

The note, published on the president’s official website, comes two days after the pro-government demonstrations staged on September 8, which were joined by the president himself.

On the occasion, both in Brasília and in São Paulo, Bolsonaro criticized Supreme Court justices and the electronic voting system. As a response, top court chief Justice Luiz Fux and Justice Luis Roberto Barroso, head of the Superior Electoral Court, rebutted the president’s remarks.

“At the moment when the country finds itself divided between institutions, it is my duty as president to come to the public and say: I have never had the intention of attacking any of the branches. The harmony between them is not my will, but a constitutional determination which everyone, without exception, must respect,” the president wrote.

In the note, Bolsonaro listed ten items. In one of them, the president says that the disagreements stemmed from conflicts in understanding the rulings issued by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, and said that no authority has the right to “stretch the rope.” He also wrote that his words, “often blunt,” come as a result of the “heat of the moment.”

“I know that a significant portion of these disagreements result from conflicts in understanding the decisions adopted by Justice Alexandre de Moraes as part of the fake news inquiry. In their public lives, people in power do not have the right to ‘stretch the rope,’ to the extent of harming the lives of Brazilians and the economy. Therefore I want to state that my words, often blunt, stem from the heat of the moment and the clashes that always aimed at the common good.”

Still regarding Justice Alexandre Moraes, Bolsonaro said that divergences are natural and that he will seek to address them through judicial measures, ensuring that fundamental rights and guarantees of the Constitution are observed.

Finally, Bolsonaro stated he respects the institutions, argued for the democratic regime, and sad he is willing to preserve dialog.

“I reiterate my respect of the institutions of the Republic, the driving forces that help govern the country. This is what democracy is all about: the Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary working together for the people and everyone respecting the Constitution. I have always been willing to maintain permanent dialog with the other branches for the preservation of harmony and independence among them. In conclusion, I would like to acknowledge and show gratitude for the extraordinary support from the Brazilian people, with whom align my principles and values, while serving as a guide down the pathways of our nation.”