Latest Scandal in the Ranks Leaves Temer Desperately Searching for Silver Lining

06/17/2016 - 10h05

Another one bites the dust in Michel Temer's government: after just 35 days in charge, the interim President has lost a third man to accusations of corruption.

Minister for Tourism Henrique Eduardo Alves is the most recent target of Operation Lava Jato, the inquiry into a nationwide corruption scheme set up to finance politicians.

This Thursday (16), Henrique Eduardo Alves, a close friend of the President, tendered his resignation after his name was linked to bribery accusations.

He is the third Minister in Temer's government to be stripped of his seat. Last month Romero Jucá (Planning) and Fabiano Silveira (Transparency) were forced to resign after a leaked audio implicated the two politicians in attempted obstruction of justice.

The series of abdications follows claims made by whistleblower Sérgio Machado, ex-President of Transpetro and considered the PMDB ringleader in the corruption scheme.

Alves met with the President this Wednesday (15) to discuss a possible course of action. After less than half an hour, the pair concluded that Alves's continued office in government would be "unsustainable" and create an "unnecessary" fissure among the ranks. Temer and Alves agreed that the Minister would announce his resignation this Thursday afternoon.

Temer has decided to hand the reigns over to Alberto Alves, an Executive-Secretary who has been in office since the government of Dilma Rousseff. But the handover will not occur until after the Olympics, since the government believes the Ministerial position is strategically crucial for the games.

In his letter of resignation, Alves admitted he had no desire to "create awkwardness or difficulty for the government." He also said that "the challenges faced now, in the current national moment, require total personal and professional commitment for the greater good."

Translated by GILLIAN SOPHIE HARRIS

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	Alan Marques/Folhapress
	After just 35 days in charge, the interim President Michel Temer has lost a third man to accusations of corruption