What Brazil Needs is Organization
This issue has been very prominent in Brazil, specifically Sao Paulo for a very long time, beginning during the presidency of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, more commonly known as Lula, whom the issue primarily surrounds. It was interesting to learn about his story while researching my topic and learning that he was born in a very poor family and worked in the industrial sector in Brazil from a young age, and as he grew up he slowly rose to power in politics despite having dropped out from high school. His story is a very rags to riches type of story as well as a Robin Hood whose goal was to give back to the poor once he rose to power, especially once he became president. However, money and greed truly change people and he quickly became one of the biggest robbers in the country while holding the title of president. Another topic I’ve deeply researched for my topic was the biggest money laundering scandal in Brazil, of which the investigation was dubbed Operation Car Wash stemming from the first place where the police discovered money was being laundered at. While the investigation began in Curitiba, a city in a southern state in Brazil, it has travelled across the country, with many cities being victim to the robbery of wealthy executives, namely the executive of state-owned oil company Petrobras, as well as many politicians. The basis of the money laundering was that these wealthy businessmen and politicians would propose state or federal projects and executives would accept bribes in return for awarding contracts to construction firms at inflated prices. In short, the government would propose a project that would cost approximately cost $1 million Brazilian Reals but on contract papers they would state that the project would cost $2 million so that they could steal the extra $1 million and the construction company as well as the other business executives and government officials would split the remaining $1 million. The Operation Car Wash was a huge investigation that completely took over the news in Brazil for many months, opening the eyes of many Brazilian citizens who had believed many politicians, namely Lula, were in favor of helping the people when really, he was only trying to steal and make himself and his family wealthy. While this investigation led to many arrests, including sending Lula to federal prison, it did not solve the problem of money laundering. Brazil’s government, unfortunately, remains a very corrupt one, which has resulted in a torn and distrustful population as well as a declining economy. Yet, the root of the problem is not just the corrupt government, it is the lack of serious restrictions and regulation in many lower systems within the government and the economy, which was what allowed for the money laundering busted by the Operation Car Wash to go on for so long. Yet, Brazil has been this way for as long as I can remember, issues always taking forever to get resolved, new legislation taking forever to pass, deceitful and greedy politicians always in power. What Brazil needs is organization, transparency, honesty. With so many things easily going under the radar, it is easy to understand how money laundering, embezzlement of funds, tax fraud is committed. If there was more organization, regulation, restrictions, these monetary crimes would be more easily discovered and would slowly decrease.
