Special report | Corruption and crime

Sliding back

Revelations of graft have fuelled anti-establishmentism

Would you trust them?

IN 1969 A Bahian construction firm called Odebrecht began work on a brutalist building in Rio de Janeiro, which was to be the headquarters of Petrobras. It was an exciting moment: Petrobras had found oil off the coast and Odebrecht would become Brazil’s biggest contractor. But 45 years later came Lava Jato, when scores of businessmen were jailed, including Odebrecht’s boss.

This article appeared in the Special report section of the print edition under the headline “Sliding back”

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From the June 5th 2021 edition

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