MANUEL TAVARES ALMEIDA remains as one of the ministers with almost unlimited influence in the country, given the protection that he is understood to have from JL. His ability to put pressure on other ministries - namely that of Finance, for payments - is considered only similar to that of RICARDO VIEGAS ABREU, Minister of Transport. MTA directly invokes his relationship with the PR to make demands on other ministries.

The closeness to JL, past and present in several domains, exposes the PR himself to the activities of the PR, potentially compromising even more the weakened image of the latter as a promoter of State probity. READ MORE