BRAZIL: Massive Corruption Scandal Is Victory For Brazilian Courts. “In Brazil, a major corruption scandal is coming to a close as 20 of 38 defendants, mostly government officials, have been convicted for their involvement in in a vote-buying scheme. The convictions go as high up as former presidential chief of staff José Dirceu de Oliveira e Silva, who was convicted Tuesday of organizing the entire scheme. The case is drawing major attention not only because corruption usually goes unpunished in Brazil, but also because many of the officials worked under the widely popular former president Lula, who is denying the entire thing. While this may make things uncomfortable for current President Roussef, who was Lula’s protégé, it is surely an accomplishment for Brazil, which has often struggled with corruption and a court system easily influenced by corrupt politicans.”