Zema says it is necessary to renew the Judiciary: “corruption is running rampant”

The former governor of Minas Gerais and pre-candidate for the Presidency of the Republic, Romeu Zema (Novo), once again placed the Judiciary at the center of his criticism. He defended structural changes and toughening the fight against corruption and crime. The statements took place during the opening of Expozebu, in Uberaba (MG), an event considered the main event for national livestock farming.

“We are going to renew this Judiciary. Corruption is running rampant”, he stated. Zema also defended greater rigor in the punishment of crimes. “We will need to send criminals to jail, which many serious countries do and which is not done here,” he said.

The speech takes place amid Zema’s recent clashes with ministers of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), which expanded the scope of his criticism of the Judiciary and reinforced his presence in the national political debate. The former governor inserted the topic within a broader package of changes that, according to him, Brazil still needs to make. “We need a moral shock, to end this little shame that we are seeing”, he said. He also made a reference to a statement by STF minister Gilmar Mendes, who had spoken about his accent. “I discovered that my accent is not understood in Brasília”, he stated.

Public spending and agribusiness

Zema once again criticized the size of the State and public spending. “We need a shock to spending, put an end to this wasteful government,” he said. According to him, “a government that spends little means lower interest rates”. Furthermore, Zema did not hide the electoral tone of his speech. “We have a very important mission: either we let Brazil continue as it is or we put good people there”, he said in reference to Brasília.

Despite the criticism, Zema also highlighted the country’s economic advances in recent decades, such as controlling inflation and the accumulation of international reserves, giving a central role to agribusiness. “These reserves were achieved thanks to which sector? Agriculture”, he added. “Today Brazil is not like Argentina because of you, rural producers”, he stated in a nod to the agricultural sector.