Key Aspects of the Lava Jato Operation
What Was the Lava Jato Operation?The Lava Jato operation, referred to as "Operation Car Wash" in English, was among the most extensive investigations of corruption in Brazil's and Latin America's history. Initiated by the Federal Police of Brazil in 2014, it began as a minor money laundering probe but soon grew into a significant anti-corruption campaign revealing rampant corruption across multiple industries, especially linked to the state-run oil corporation Petrobras.Origin of the InitiativeThe operation was initially triggered by allegations of extensive money laundering at a car wash in Brasília, hence the name Lava Jato, which means "car wash" in Portuguese.…