Opinion – Luís Francisco Carvalho Filho: About budgets and vampires

The journalist Gilberto Dimenstein (1956-2020), at the time director of the branch of sheet in Brasília, he was sued by deputy João Alves (1919-2004) based on the Press Law, a legacy of the dictatorship.

In October 1991, the congressman was rapporteur of the Mixed Budget Committee. The target of accusations and feeling politically fragile, he threatened to tell everything he knew about electoral manipulation of federal funds if he was removed from office, and was outraged by Dimenstein’s “Blackmail War” column, particularly with the phrase: “they put a vampire to run a blood bank.”

The criminal action would be rejected by the Federal Court for procedural defects and the brave journalist was acquitted by the story.

With the CPI on Budget closed in 1994 (installed in 1993), João Alves resigned from his mandate in order not to be revoked and to be ineligible. In the axis of parliamentary activity, his patrimonial wealth was explained by more than 200 lottery prizes – a feat he attributed to the help of God.

The tumultuous scandal is remembered by the (politically incorrect) nickname given to the corrupt, “Budget Midgets”.

Lula, still radical, PT president, attacked the National Congress, formed, in his view, by “300 pickaxes” that only defended their own interests, inspiring the music of Paralamas do Sucesso, recorded in 1995: “Daddy, when I grow up I want to be a dwarf / To steal, renounce, come back in the next election”.

The world turns, Republic and transparency are in the way and, three decades later, there are embarrassing (but tasty) similarities with the present.

Secret budget. Amendments by the rapporteur. Abuse of electoral power. God. Corruption. Picking. Bribery. Vampires.

Triggered by the PSOL, the Federal Supreme Court tries to impose a restraint on the purchase of votes by the Bolsonaro government. It intends, at least, to illuminate the events, so that an eventual violation of the principles of morality and impersonality in public administration, essential in the management of the three Powers, can be inspected.

Re-election is crucial for today’s vampires, Arthur Lira et caterva, to keep the reins of power in their hands. Budget amendments form a dangerous liability to be, who knows, stirred up, investigated.

The Bolsonaro government, criminally hardball with the IBGE and with science, pledged (in just two days), on the eve of the voting of the first round of the PEC of Precatório, R$ 909 million from the secret budget.

The vote of Rosa Weber prevailed in the virtual judgment, which ended on Wednesday (10), with only two differences, that of Gilmar Mendes and Kassio Nunes, Bolsonaro’s minister piece (10%) in the STF. In addition to the suspension of transfers, the government must publish in 30 days details of the execution of expenditures for 2020 and 2021.

But the week has bad news. The Superior Court of Justice practically legitimized the patrimonial enrichment of Flávio Bolsonaro. Found procedural vices and annulled everything. The family celebrates.

Jair Bolsonaro will nominate 75 federal judges in 2022. The rigging of the Federal Regional Courts will be conducted by senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the one from the crack, who has just won impunity in the STJ, and by minister Kassio Nunes, who has no independence to judge, but , on the other hand, accumulates influence and power.

For these and others, Republic and transparency are on the way.