Roberto Jefferson: The man who shook the Republic

The unauthorized biography of the man who shook the Republic

After reading the June 5, 2005, edition of O Globo, which revealed the extent of his influence in the government and linked it to a huge amount of public money, Roberto Jefferson became enraged and decided to pull the trigger. Convinced that a campaign was underway to impeach him, led by José Dirceu's Chief of Staff, he revealed what many already knew but pretended to ignore: the mensalão scandal.

Since then, a series of scandals has rocked Brazilian politics and given the country's newsrooms no respite. Little by little, however, the most essential and unique characteristics of the mensalão whistleblower were being overlooked. There was no more time to waste on details. Investigations, dismissals, arrests ordered by the Supreme Court, and an incredible destruction of reputations followed.

The character found in the pages of Roberto Jefferson: The Man Who Shook the Republic is richer and more complex than anything the press has managed to tell thus far. Cássio Bruno's most personal experiences were not spared, such as the series of letters written in prison or the behind-the-scenes story of the accident that left the politician with a black eye at the public session that decided his fate in the Chamber of Deputies. But the best part of the book is that it gives order to things, allowing us to understand the escalation of events that led Roberto Jefferson to pull the pin.