Threatened with prison, PRF director came to power via Flávio Bolsonaro

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The director-general of the Federal Highway Police, Silvinei Vasques, has a management marked by serious crises, such as the one initiated by the murder of Genivaldo de Jesus, in Sergipe, and is now at risk of being arrested by the Federal Supreme Court for putting the corporation at the service of the coup attacks of Bolsonarism.

Vasques was appointed by Jair Bolsonaro (PL) after approaching Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) when he was superintendent of the corporation in Rio de Janeiro, the last position he held before assuming the direction of the PRF.

On Monday (31), the day after failing to comply with an order from Alexandre de Moraes and directing PRF efforts to approach public transport on election day, Vasques was again in the minister’s sights: Moraes threatened to arrest him for the crime of disobedience if he did not act. to clear the roads blocked by bolsonaristas dissatisfied with the president’s defeat at the polls.

Silvinei Vasques took office in April last year, days after the appointment of Minister of Justice and Public Security, Anderson Torres – one of the president’s main allies. Since then, he has helped to consolidate a change in the corporation’s axis of action that began under the Bolsonaro government, prioritizing operations to combat drug trafficking over highway inspection.

On Sunday (30), when the PRF failed to comply with the minister’s decision and acted to inspect passenger buses, Vasques had to go to the headquarters of the TSE (Superior Electoral Court) summoned by Moraes to explain himself and promise that he would order the end of the approaches. .

Hours earlier, the director of the PRF had asked President Jair Bolsonaro for votes on social media. Vasques published an image of the Brazilian flag with the phrases “Vote 22. Bolsonaro president”. The post was deleted hours later.

On his Instagram, the inspector accumulates photos with the president, First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro and the Minister of Justice. In one of them, he thanks Bolsonaro “for his historic investments in the PRF” and says that the corporation “is transforming and strengthening its presence process and actions throughout Brazil”.

In one of the latest publications, the head of the PRF appears next to Bolsonaro and talking to him in the September 7 parade. “Thanks to President Jair Bolsonaro and Minister Anderson Torres for the opportunity for PRF to participate in the Bicentennial of Brazil’s Independence,” he wrote.

In March, the inspector received the Order of Merit medal from the Ministry of Justice — whose objective, according to the government, is “to honor authorities who provide outstanding services” to the ministry.

It was by decision of Vasques that, on May 3, the PRF revoked the functioning and powers of the human rights commissions. Less than a month later, Genivaldo de Jesus Santos was asphyxiated in the trunk of a vehicle during an approach by the corporation, in Sergipe.

Shortly after the case, the PRF released a note stating that the victim had actively resisted the approach. The version ended up being contradicted by videos that showed Genivaldo surrendered, with his hands handcuffed and his feet tied. After the repercussion, Vasques ordered the removal of the police officers involved and acknowledged that the case was serious.

The PRF’s operations this Sunday, mainly in the northeast of the country, led the campaign of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) to ask for the inspector’s arrest, and for the extension of elections in places where PT would have been harmed.

After the meeting with the director general of the PRF, Moraes stated that the closing time for voting would be maintained because no voter was prevented from voting. “The damage it did to voters, eventually, was the delay. But I say it again, not a single bus went back to the origin,” he said.

At the PRF since 1995, one of Vasques’ last positions in Rio de Janeiro was that of team leader in an operation aimed at combating organized crime in the state. He was also a contract supervisor at the major events secretariat created for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The PRF’s alignment with the Planalto intensified in 2020, after Bolsonaro fired director-general Adriano Furtado.

The reason for the exoneration was that Furtado had written, in April of that year, a note stating that an agent of the corporation had died a victim of Covid-19. After his resignation, Bolsonaro appointed Eduardo Aggio de Sá to the post.

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