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Gene M. Smith, President and Co-Owner of Smith Brandon International, Inc. was one of the contributors to to a Q&A from the October 2nd issue of the Latin America Adviser Newsletter published by The Inter-American Dialogue. Each of the contributors were asked to answer the question:

"Brazil’s new chief prosecutor, Raquel Dodge, was sworn in Sept. 18, replacing Rodrigo Janot. Janot doggedly pursued corruption investigations against scores of politicians, including President Michel Temer, garnering widespread acclaim but also scorn from his targets. Is Dodge the right person for the job? Will she conduct graft investigations as aggressively as did Janot? What changes can be expected during Dodge’s tenure as Brazil’s chief prosecutor?"

Gene's answer is reproduced below:

“Dodge was one of the top three candidates for the position in voting among the more than 1,000 members of the National Association of Federal Prosecutors (ANPR), which has selected final nominees for prosecutor general in Brazil since 2001. She replaces the high-profile Rodrigo Janot, who has been active and aggressive in his support of the Lava Jato case and other investigations of corruption in Brazil during his tenure. Dodge has a long history in federal government, as a federal prosecutor, dating back to 1987. She is the first woman to head the federal prosecutor’s office. Although not a household name in Brazil, Dodge has a solid reputation for her work as a prosecutor and is seen as more of a wonk than a PR person. A native of Goias, her father was a lawyer; she has a master’s degree in law from Harvard University. She has already been the subject of some media attention, as she has formed her own team to take over the prosecutor’s office, including removing a few prosecutors who expected to retain their prior positions. She has also been the subject of some controversy as one of the prosecutors who was removed was reportedly replaced by a relative of a prominent, long-serving senator José Agripino Maia, an ally of President Michel Temer, both of whom are facing corruption allegations. Dodge has inherited a full workload, and she has the background to get the job done. She will be compared to Janot. However, she can be expected to forge her own, independent approach that may well address other issues, such as human rights and labor issues, along with the ongoing efforts against widespread corruption in Brazil as reflected in the Lava Jato prosecutions.”