One of the most popular and powerful figures in Jair Bolsonaro's far-right administration – the celebrity justice minister Sérgio Moro – has resigned, setting up a potentially momentous political conflict just as Brazil struggles to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

Moro – a hero for much of the Brazilian right and a hate figure for many on the left – announced his decision on Friday after clashing with the president over Bolsonaro's sacking of the head of Brazil's federal police.

"I have to protect my biography and above all the commitment I took on … that we would stand firm against corruption, organized crime and violent crime,”said Moro, a 47-year-old judge who became a household name for leading the“Car Wash”corruption investigation and jailing former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ahead of the 2018 presidential election.

With Lula sidelined, Bolsonaro won a landslide victory by pledging to combat corruption and appointed Moro just days later as a potent symbol of his supposed intentions.

Brian Winter, the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly, said Moro's exit could have huge implications for Brazil's leader by eating away at his support base of about 30% of voters – which some believe could pave the way for impeachment.

"I think Moro's departure will cause a real crisis of conscience for some Bolsonaro voters who will ask themselves: 'Is this government really the change that I voted for?”Winter said.

"History tells us impeachment is always lurking in the background for Brazilian presidents. The fire has been nipping at Bolsonaro's heels for a couple of months now … and congress has always hated Bolsonaro,”Winter added. "So if that 30% starts to budge, things could move really quickly.”

The immediate trigger for Moro's resignation was reportedly Bolsonaro's decision to remove one of the ministers closest associates, Maurício Valeixo, from his job as head of the federal police.

SOURCE: The Guardian