Opinion – Vinicius Torres Freire: In the drugged country, budget robbery does not cause a scandal

The hidden money from the parliamentary amendments of the “rapporteur” has already led to at least one scandal, even with a package of money filmed by the police. But the scandal did not cause a scandal (read later).

The witness of anonymous allocation of funds from the Federal Budget to electoral feuds of deputies and senators, the “Secret Budget”, is much larger, but we do not know the extent of the roll. There is no extensive investigation. There will be even less, of course, the attitude of the Congress of the center, which smears itself with Bolsolão, the exchange of amendments for the political survival of Jair Bolsonaro.

The sanctimonious moralistic arrogance that contributed to the overthrow of Dilma Roussef and the election of the far right is doped. “Selective indignation,” as the commonplace said. The country is drugged, stupefied.

Bolsonaro committed crimes of responsibility in bunches, but he is not bothered. The inquiries of the family’s cracks break up in chicaneries. It is not known where the investigations of “fake news” and coup rallies stand. What will Covid’s CPI lead to? In an archived inquiry, I don’t know, in 2032? These people who now occupy the Planalto can spend the entire government committing crimes, at will.

In the case of Bolsolão do centrão, whichever you name it, the Federal Police has images of taking and bringing packages of money, recorded conversations from the scam and much more. A government deputy from Maranhão managed to get amendments to pay for works in the cities of his electoral fief. Companies hired to perform the service diverted part of the money to the deputy, according to investigations, revealed by the magazine Crusoé and by this leaf.

It’s not even possible to repeat the perpetual cliché of the Republic, which comes from the first comment about the inauguration of the regime: the people watched it all bemused. Who is seeing something? The show of corruption is on hold.

Justice Rosa Weber, of the Supreme Court, had decided to interrupt the payment of these “rapporteur amendments”, as she wanted transparency, that it was clear who indicated the remittance to that place. In fact, the hole is deeper, as in practice there is no adequate inspection of the use of this money, nor is expenditure guided by public policy criteria.

After the decision of the Supreme, Congress approved a workaround so that the distribution of money continues; Rosa Weber therefore ended the suspension.

That’s how the center’s power scheme works. Nothing new, just more obscure and with more money (an extra about 1% of federal spending. Note that about 95% of federal spending is mandatory. Only 5% is free, “discretionary” use). Allocating money through amendments is neither theft nor illegal, in itself, despite the use of resources at the same time, without criteria of priority, equity, publicity and efficiency. The new mumnha method, however, favors periodic scandals with the Budget.

By the way, the central Congress is dedicating the last weeks of the year to securing another package of rapporteur amendments for 2022, as well as getting a fat electoral fund, of more than R$ 5 billion. They are money to stop political-electoral competition, to favor the re-election of those who have the power to present amendments, to keep the center and its methods in command.

What to do? We are hostages. Most are quiet. The “fighting corruption” Pharisees are quiet. Another part of the cattle is happy with Bolsonaro. The gates are open to robbery and the government of continuing liability crime, which ensures that the rest of the work of destruction in the country also proceeds.