Lava Jato Sets Limits of Temer's Government in Brazil

On Monday night, the minister of Transparency, Supervision and Control, Fabiano Silveira, submitted to Temer his "irrevocable decision" to leave the government, just a few hours after a conversation with Senate Speaker Renan Calheiros, in which he was instructing how to proceed with the defense of those under investigation, was released.

Silveira, who at the time the recording was made (February 2016) was a member of the National Justice Council, could not even go to his office on Monday, because hundreds of workers were blocking his access to the building to demand his resignation. A demand that they submitted to the Planalto Palace later and that was ignored.

Last week, after the first recordings made by the ex executive of Petrobras, Sergio Machado, were revealed, the then minister of Planning and the main political advisor to the provisional president, Romero Juca, was also forced to resign 12 days after being appointed.

In an article posted on Monday on Fernando Rodigues's blog, the author warned that with Silveira's case, the provisional government was becoming a hostage of Lava Jato.

From the political viewpoint, he noted, it is a big setback for Michel Temer, because it is the second minister of his cabinet who resigns for alluding Lava Jato.