Grim viewing

The cousins I've been staying in with Porto Alegre have been riveted by the scandals emanating from Brasilia this month. And Roberto Jefferson, who I've written about the other week, was back before the cameras last night, this time giving evidence of corruption and misuse of public funds by the PT and its allies in the parliamentary inquiry on the Post Office here.

We went out to dinner at around 8 and came back two and half hours later, to find he was still giving evidence. When I went to bed at around 12.30-1am he was still before the committee (which was made up of the last ew congressmen who had yet to be called).

Jefferson looked like he had been put straight by a few heavies - his left cheek was bandaged up, following a 'domestic incident' in which a cupboard apparently fell on him. All the way through he was puttin an icepack on his cheek while hovering behind him we could make out the surgically gloved hands of the congressional doctors.

As for the questioning, there was plenty of discussion about his involvement in the legislation to allow civil unions between homosexuals and his theatrical qualities, but of substantial questions, very little.

Enlightening in a rather depressing way, really.