Weakening constitutional rules through anti-corruption and impunity discourses: Analyzing the impact of the “Operação Lava-jato” (Car Wash Operation) on the presumption of innocence in Brazil
We use a sociolegal perspective to critically analyze how narratives supporting the need to reduce and punish corruption in Brazil, particularly the ones deployed in the course of the Car Wash Operation (CWO), influenced the weakening of the presumption of innocence rule. Originally deployed to inve...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Oñati International Institute for the Sociology of Law
2024-02-01
|
| Series: | Oñati Socio-Legal Series |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://opo.iisj.net/index.php/osls/article/view/1675 |
| _version_ | 1827366545211260928 |
|---|---|
| author | João Araújo Monteiro Neto Nestor Eduardo Araruna Santiago |
| author_facet | João Araújo Monteiro Neto Nestor Eduardo Araruna Santiago |
| author_sort | João Araújo Monteiro Neto |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We use a sociolegal perspective to critically analyze how narratives supporting the need to reduce and punish corruption in Brazil, particularly the ones deployed in the course of the Car Wash Operation (CWO), influenced the weakening of the presumption of innocence rule. Originally deployed to investigate a criminal organization using a network of gas stations and car wash companies to “clean” illicit resources, the CWO was rapidly transformed in a major law enforcement operation, and it was used to unravel endemic corruption found in private and state-owned companies. Using a variety of communication resources, the Prosecutor office in charge of the operation developed a set of strategic tactics to promote the discourse that the rule of presumption of innocence was one of the main motives behind the high levels of corruption and impunity in Brazil. This narrative influenced the Brazilian Supreme Federal Court during the judgment of the case involving Brazilian former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The social pressure caused by the use of strategic communication tools were crucial to lead the court to overrule the meaning of presumption of innocence. The paper examines how these tools were able to promote social traction and how they can be used to influence and shape the meaning and effectiveness of legal rules.
Utilizamos una perspectiva socio-jurídica para analizar críticamente cómo las narrativas que respaldan la necesidad de reducir y castigar la corrupción en Brasil, especialmente las desplegadas en el curso de la “Operação Lava Jato” (LJ – Operación Autolavado), influyeron en el debilitamiento de la presunción de inocencia. Originalmente implementada para investigar a una organización criminal que utilizaba una red de estaciones de servicio y empresas de lavado de autos para el lavado de dinero, LJ se transformó rápidamente en una importante operación de aplicación de la ley y se utilizó para desentrañar la corrupción endémica en empresas privadas y estatales. Utilizando diversos recursos de comunicación, la Fiscalía Federal a cargo de la operación desarrolló un conjunto de tácticas estratégicas para promover el discurso de que la presunción de inocencia era uno de los principales motivos detrás de los altos niveles de corrupción e impunidad en Brasil. Esta narrativa, por ejemplo, influyó en el Tribunal Supremo Federal (STF) de Brasil durante el juicio del caso que involucra al expresidente brasileño Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. La presión social causada por el uso de herramientas estratégicas de comunicación fue crucial para llevar al tribunal a revocar el significado de la presunción de inocencia. El artículo examina cómo estas herramientas pudieron generar tracción social y cómo pueden utilizarse para influir y dar forma al significado y la efectividad de las normas legales. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T08:50:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0d6249199a12498db9b6c5338ea3a740 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-5971 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T08:50:58Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Oñati International Institute for the Sociology of Law |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Oñati Socio-Legal Series |
| spelling | doaj.art-0d6249199a12498db9b6c5338ea3a7402024-02-01T08:44:03ZengOñati International Institute for the Sociology of LawOñati Socio-Legal Series2079-59712024-02-01141567510.35295/osls.iisl.16752427Weakening constitutional rules through anti-corruption and impunity discourses: Analyzing the impact of the “Operação Lava-jato” (Car Wash Operation) on the presumption of innocence in BrazilJoão Araújo Monteiro Neto0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0690-2449Nestor Eduardo Araruna Santiago1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2479-7937University of FortalezaUniversity of Fortaleza/Federal University of CearáWe use a sociolegal perspective to critically analyze how narratives supporting the need to reduce and punish corruption in Brazil, particularly the ones deployed in the course of the Car Wash Operation (CWO), influenced the weakening of the presumption of innocence rule. Originally deployed to investigate a criminal organization using a network of gas stations and car wash companies to “clean” illicit resources, the CWO was rapidly transformed in a major law enforcement operation, and it was used to unravel endemic corruption found in private and state-owned companies. Using a variety of communication resources, the Prosecutor office in charge of the operation developed a set of strategic tactics to promote the discourse that the rule of presumption of innocence was one of the main motives behind the high levels of corruption and impunity in Brazil. This narrative influenced the Brazilian Supreme Federal Court during the judgment of the case involving Brazilian former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The social pressure caused by the use of strategic communication tools were crucial to lead the court to overrule the meaning of presumption of innocence. The paper examines how these tools were able to promote social traction and how they can be used to influence and shape the meaning and effectiveness of legal rules. Utilizamos una perspectiva socio-jurídica para analizar críticamente cómo las narrativas que respaldan la necesidad de reducir y castigar la corrupción en Brasil, especialmente las desplegadas en el curso de la “Operação Lava Jato” (LJ – Operación Autolavado), influyeron en el debilitamiento de la presunción de inocencia. Originalmente implementada para investigar a una organización criminal que utilizaba una red de estaciones de servicio y empresas de lavado de autos para el lavado de dinero, LJ se transformó rápidamente en una importante operación de aplicación de la ley y se utilizó para desentrañar la corrupción endémica en empresas privadas y estatales. Utilizando diversos recursos de comunicación, la Fiscalía Federal a cargo de la operación desarrolló un conjunto de tácticas estratégicas para promover el discurso de que la presunción de inocencia era uno de los principales motivos detrás de los altos niveles de corrupción e impunidad en Brasil. Esta narrativa, por ejemplo, influyó en el Tribunal Supremo Federal (STF) de Brasil durante el juicio del caso que involucra al expresidente brasileño Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. La presión social causada por el uso de herramientas estratégicas de comunicación fue crucial para llevar al tribunal a revocar el significado de la presunción de inocencia. El artículo examina cómo estas herramientas pudieron generar tracción social y cómo pueden utilizarse para influir y dar forma al significado y la efectividad de las normas legales.https://opo.iisj.net/index.php/osls/article/view/1675strategic communicationjudicial influencecar wash operationcomunicación estratégicainfluencia judicialoperación autolavado |
| spellingShingle | João Araújo Monteiro Neto Nestor Eduardo Araruna Santiago Weakening constitutional rules through anti-corruption and impunity discourses: Analyzing the impact of the “Operação Lava-jato” (Car Wash Operation) on the presumption of innocence in Brazil Oñati Socio-Legal Series strategic communication judicial influence car wash operation comunicación estratégica influencia judicial operación autolavado |
| title | Weakening constitutional rules through anti-corruption and impunity discourses: Analyzing the impact of the “Operação Lava-jato” (Car Wash Operation) on the presumption of innocence in Brazil |
| title_full | Weakening constitutional rules through anti-corruption and impunity discourses: Analyzing the impact of the “Operação Lava-jato” (Car Wash Operation) on the presumption of innocence in Brazil |
| title_fullStr | Weakening constitutional rules through anti-corruption and impunity discourses: Analyzing the impact of the “Operação Lava-jato” (Car Wash Operation) on the presumption of innocence in Brazil |
| title_full_unstemmed | Weakening constitutional rules through anti-corruption and impunity discourses: Analyzing the impact of the “Operação Lava-jato” (Car Wash Operation) on the presumption of innocence in Brazil |
| title_short | Weakening constitutional rules through anti-corruption and impunity discourses: Analyzing the impact of the “Operação Lava-jato” (Car Wash Operation) on the presumption of innocence in Brazil |
| title_sort | weakening constitutional rules through anti corruption and impunity discourses analyzing the impact of the operacao lava jato car wash operation on the presumption of innocence in brazil |
| topic | strategic communication judicial influence car wash operation comunicación estratégica influencia judicial operación autolavado |
| url | https://opo.iisj.net/index.php/osls/article/view/1675 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT joaoaraujomonteironeto weakeningconstitutionalrulesthroughanticorruptionandimpunitydiscoursesanalyzingtheimpactoftheoperacaolavajatocarwashoperationonthepresumptionofinnocenceinbrazil AT nestoreduardoararunasantiago weakeningconstitutionalrulesthroughanticorruptionandimpunitydiscoursesanalyzingtheimpactoftheoperacaolavajatocarwashoperationonthepresumptionofinnocenceinbrazil |