Veteran columnist Reinaldo Azevedo criticizes Glenn Greenwald’s lack of knowledge about Brazilian law after he aligns himself with Elon Musk’s campaign to undermine the Supreme Court. Azevedo, who was once a critic of Lula and the PT until he uncovered the fraudulent nature of the Lava Jato investigation, now challenges Greenwald, who has also criticized Lula and the PT since his arrival in Rio twenty years ago. Facing growing disapproval from Brazilian progressives, who once viewed him as an ally, the Tucker Carlson favorite has responded angrily.
“When it comes to defending democracy, the U.S. has a lot to learn from contemporary Brazil, not the other way around,” writes Reinaldo Azevedo.
In a Folha article, Glenn Greenwald makes accusations of illegalities in Brazilian Supreme Court decisions without providing legal arguments, only rhetoric that echoes the Bolsonarista narrative. Azevedo questions Greenwald’s motives and highlights his inconsistency in accusing the left of being subservient to a Supreme Court Minister while ignoring his past support from the left during times of crisis.
Azevedo argues that Greenwald’s alignment with those who once threatened him shows a lack of coherence on his part, not the left, which has maintained its principles in supporting those who defend democracy in Brazil. He points out Greenwald’s colonialist attitude towards Brazilian laws, emphasizing that Brazil’s legal system differs from that of the United States.
Since leaving the Intercept, Greenwald has tried to establish himself in Brazil’s intellectual landscape but has only managed to align himself with forces that previously targeted him, such as Bolsonarismo. Azevedo concludes by urging Greenwald to reconsider his alliances and behaviors and to acknowledge that the left’s support of Alexandre de Moraes is rooted in the defense of democracy, not ideological affinity.
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