Internal Crisis Grips Brazil's Supreme Court Over Master Case Investigations

The Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) is facing an unprecedented institutional crisis triggered by the Master case investigations and a public conflict between its ministers. The tension escalated after Minister André Mendonça released a Federal Police report containing conversations between Minister Alexandre de Moraes and former banker Daniel Vorcaro. This led to a series of conflicting decisions and a battle of official communications among the justices, requiring the intervention of the Court's president, Luiz Edson Fachin. President Fachin has taken several measures to regain control, including annulling some of Mendonça's decisions and assuming the relatorship of the Fake News Inquiry from Moraes. He also ordered Mendonça to lift the secrecy of documents related to the case within 24 hours, a request supported by the Prosecutor General's Office (PGR) to avoid a false impression of transparency. In response, Mendonça expanded the lifting of secrecy to include investigations involving high profile figures, such as Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, Ciro Nogueira, Jaques Wagner, and former Governor Cláudio Castro. The crisis has drawn international attention, with reports from Reuters, Associated Press, and El Pais describing the situation as a grave internal dispute or political chaos. Legal experts and anti corruption entities have called for the adoption of a code of ethics, a reduction in individual monocratic decisions, and a guarantee that upcoming sessions remain public to restore the Court's credibility. While some ministers have exchanged accusations of selective disclosure and political protection, Minister Nunes Marques, the president of the Superior Electoral Court, has declined to comment on the crisis during his official duties in Roraima.