Bolsonarist direction in Itaipu makes agreements and anticipates appointment on the eve of the PT taking over

The general director of Itaipu under the Bolsonarist administration, vice-admiral Anatalício Risden Junior, has been active at the end of his term, in the opinion of those who follow the state-owned company. In the position waiting for the replacement, who will be chosen by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), he has signed new partnerships and changed the scope of some contracts already in force, extending deadlines or values.

It also brought forward the appointment of a strategic position, whose mandate will begin in March.

Risden’s role draws attention because the choice of Itaipu’s directors and advisers is a prerogative of the President of the Republic. The departure of the entire summit on the Brazilian side is a matter of time. Since January 1, it can occur at any time.

There are those who argue that the election period affected the release of resources, and Risden needs to conclude partnerships already established with several municipalities. However, the assessment of others is that he should be more restrained, as he is creating a last-minute inheritance for the next managers, within a bill that does not stop growing and is paid by energy consumers in Brazil.

These partnerships make up the so-called socio-environmental responsibility programs of Itaipu. A good part finances works. A survey carried out by PSR consultancy, one of the most respected in Brazil in the area of ​​energy, identified that these expenses went from US$ 88.5 million (R$ 459.5 million) in 2013 to US$ 316.1 million (R$ 1.6 billion) in 2022.

In November and December of last year, when the change in command of Itaipu was already certain, since Lula had won the election, Risden’s management signed or changed 31 agreements or agreements, according to reports published by the company on its website. .

The January listing is not yet available on the website. However, according to an estimate given to the Sheetpartnerships continue to be made in the first month of 2023.

New agreements and agreements made official in the last two months of 2022, added to those carried out in the first two weeks of January, total the future commitment of more than BRL 40 million.

It must be remembered that each amount spent in Brazil is equally released in Paraguay, to guarantee parity in benefits.

Itaipu’s support for projects in Paraná has a strong regional political appeal, and initiatives at the end of the current board’s mandate enter the political quota of supporters of the previous government. In Paraná, Jair Bolsonaro (PL) won in the second round of the election, with 62% of the valid votes.

Officially, Itaipu’s projects on the Brazilian side must be focused on the power plant’s area of ​​influence, basically western Paraná. This geographical limit, however, has been extended in recent years.

Itaipu has already released more than R$ 7 million for the conservation, restoration and management of the architectural complex belonging to the collections of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rio de Janeiro, 1,500 kilometers from the plant. The argument is that the Itaipu treaty was signed in the palace.

On the list of these recent partnerships signed during the Rear Admiral’s management is an agreement, dated December 30, signed with the secretariat of the Interministerial Commission for the Resources of the Sea, in the amount of R$ 6.8 million, to finance a project of energy security and efficiency in Brazilian oceanic islands. Itaipu’s area of ​​influence is not by the ocean, but in the interior of Brazil.

The act that most surprised the team at Itaipu was the anticipation of a nomination.

The current Superintendent of Operations will retire in March, but the replacement has already been ratified. In a document dated January 5, it was determined that Rodrigo Gonçalves Pimenta will take office on March 2.

The Operations superintendent, who is responsible for energy production, reports directly to the technical director of the plant’s production and safety area. It’s practically a position of trust. By logic, the new superintendent should be chosen by this future director, who will still be appointed by Lula.

Pimenta is a career employee and it would even be natural to be among those quoted, but the simple early indication causes discomfort. The next technical director, at the beginning of his term, will suffer the embarrassment of making a change if he deems it necessary.

wanted by SheetItaipu’s press office replied that the company has maintained its planning.

“Itaipu Binacional, through the work of its Executive Board, proceeds normally with its activities, and, in accordance with its business planning, has strengthened its governance, mainly in the area of ​​compliance, in addition to acting in line with its institutional mission of generating “quality electricity with social and environmental responsibility, contributing to sustainable development in Brazil and Paraguay’ “, highlighted the text.

Almost a month later, the Lula government has still not indicated who will assume the different command posts at Itaipu. There is a possibility that the PT president, Gleisi Hoffmann, who is from Paraná and has already worked at the company, and the first lady, Rosângela Lula da Silva, Janja, who worked for almost 20 years at Itaipu, will participate in the election.

In addition to the director-general post, the new government may appoint seven directors and five directors.

In the council, there are posts with a certain destination. At least one of the vacancies remains with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and should be occupied by Ambassador Mauro Vieira. Another chair goes to the Ministry of Mines and Energy, and tends to go to the portfolio holder, Alexandre Silveira.

The more time passes, the list of people quoted to assume the general management, the most disputed post, increases.

Federal deputy Enio Verri (PT-PR), state deputy Arilson Chiorato, who was part of the government transition infrastructure group, former minister Paulo Bernardo and businessman Jorge Samek, who headed Itaipu in the Lula, Dilma Rousseff and Michel Temer governments, and knows Janja.

The name of former governor of Paraná Roberto Requião comes and goes to occupy a post in the state-owned company. He has already publicly stated that he was offended when he was approached to be one of the advisers. Requião would be pleading for a board.