The right-wing opposition obtained control over a high-profile inquiry into fraud in the National Social Security Institute (INSS), in the latest of many serious political blunders by the Lula administration in Congress.
The scandal, revealed in April, exposed a sprawling scheme of irregular deductions from pensioners’ benefits, often involving bogus fees to corrupt associations. With millions of elderly Brazilians affected, the case has stirred public anger and intensified political disputes.
The inquiry committee convened on Wednesday to select its chairperson and rapporteur, who can steer the course of proceedings. What was expected to be a formality (with congressional leaders having agreed on two moderates) unraveled overnight.
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