Datafolha: 84% of Brazilians Believe President Rousseff Knew of Petrobras Corruption Scheme

03/23/2015 - 10h12

Eight out of ten Brazilians believe that President Rousseff knew of the corruption scheme at Petrobras currently under investigation in the Federal Police's Operation Car Wash, according to a Datafolha survey taken on March 16 and 17 in cities all over the country.

Those who believe that Rousseff not only knew of the scheme, but let it operate freely, are also in the majority. 61% believe that Rousseff "let" the crimes occur, while 23% believe that although she knew about the corruption scheme, she was "unable to do anything" to stop it.

The results are similar amongst all socioeconomic divisions, age groups and party political allegiances - including amongst Rousseff's voters.

The survey also showed that in spite of the accusations of kickbacks and bribes in recent months, most Brazilians still believe that the Federal Government should retain its controlling share in Petrobras. 61% of those interviewed said they were against privatization.

Just 24% advocate the sale of the government's controlling share in the company, which is currently in the midst of the worst crisis since its creation in 1953. Another 5% were indifferent, while 10% did not know how to respond. This is the first time Datafolha has asked about privatization.

Translated by TOM GATEHOUSE

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	Editoria de Arte/Folhapress