Brazil is no stranger to political scandal. Its last president, Dilma Rousseff, was impeached and removed from office. Her predecessor has been ensnared by the same investigation and her successor, Michel Temer, now looks vulnerable to impeachment as well. Worse, it appears as though no leading figure in the country's political establishment is untainted. The breadth of the Lava Jato (Car Wash) investigation is breathtaking, and has already touched top officials in other Latin American countries. For some, exposure of this scandal, and its size and scope, is a promising sign of cleansing and renewal. For those with longer memories, it is a repeat performance and proof that corruption remains part of Brazil's political culture.
The Lava Jato investigation takes its name from the gas station in Brasilia where bribes were paid and money laundered. The scandal involves payoffs from numerous businesses — the two most prominent are Petrobras, the state-run oil company, and Odebrecht, a construction conglomerate — to politicians. Bribes secured inflated government contracts; the companies then kicked back a portion to the politicians. Thus far, the investigation has found about $2 billion in payoffs, although the total could reach as high as $5 billion.
Sums that large suggest a sprawling undertaking and that appears to be the case. Temer, the man who assumed the presidency after Rousseff was impeached, is charged with approving a multimillion dollar payoff to silence the former speaker of the House. He claims the tape that is offered as evidence is doctored. In addition to five former presidents who have been ensnared, eight current Cabinet members are under investigation, as well as top senators and the heads of both houses of Parliament. More than 20 political parties have been touched by the scandal, and it is estimated that hundreds of people are involved, including politicians from all levels of government.