Codevasf: Champion city in donations has fight for tractors – 05/27/2023 – Politics

The dirt roads wind through the stone hills of Serra Azul, rural area of ​​Itatim (213 km from Salvador). On the banks of the Paraguaçu River, which runs through the region until it flows into Todos-os-Santos Bay, rural producers grow okra, corn, cassava and watermelon.

On the farm owned by farmer José Carlos Andrade, 55, known as Carlinhos, rests a backhoe loader, gleaming like new. The machine was a donation from Codevasf, a state-owned company delivered to the center by Jair Bolsonaro (PL) in exchange for political support, an arrangement maintained by President Lula (PT).

The backhoe was part of a package of donations made in 2023 that were destined for the city of Itatim. With machines worth an estimated R$2.5 million, the municipality of just 15,000 inhabitants was the biggest beneficiary of equipment during the Lula government.

The city hall received two backhoe loaders, with an estimated value of R$ 450,000 each, a hydraulic excavator budgeted at R$ 860,000 and a motor grader costing R$ 890,000. Another backhoe was donated to the Association of Rural Workers of the Village of Serra Azul.

As pointed out by SheetCodevasf favored Bahia in the allocation of equipment in the first three months of the Lula government, amid the dispute for control of the state-owned company between the PT and one of the leaders of the centrão, federal deputy Elmar Nascimento (União Brasil-BA).

The first three months of management show a change in the profile of beneficiaries, with a greater proportion of private entities and a smaller proportion of city halls, thus increasing the risk of irregularities.

A Sheet analyzed the donations made by Codevasf based on documents published by the report in the Pinpoint tool.

In Itatim, a city with more than 300 kilometers of side roads and 30% of the population living in rural areas, tractors and backhoe loaders are an important asset for political leaders and are disputed for their weight in gold. The equipment is used to recover roads, build tanks and dams.

For this reason, the machines often serve as fuel for local political disputes, including exchanges of accusations about the supposed political use of the equipment.

The machines donated to the city hall are the result of amendments by Elmar Nascimento, a congressman with the greatest influence in Codevasf and an ally of Mayor Daiane dos Anjos (PSD). In 2022, with the support of the mayor, he was the most voted federal deputy in Itatim, with 4,071 votes.

The equipment donation term was signed in February and, since then, the machines have been taken to a shed at the Municipal Works Department, close to the BR-116. There was no announcement about the arrival of the equipment on the website or on the social networks of the city hall.

Mayor Daiane dos Anjos ensures that the equipment is in use and serving the community. And he justified the silence about the arrival of the equipment.

“When there is this announcement, the population’s demand for the machines increases. And this year we are going through many financial restrictions. There was a drop in revenue”, says the mayor, who has just announced São João festivities with concerts by Bell Marques and the duo César Menotti and Fabiano.

Daiane dos Anjos promises to officially deliver the new equipment on June 13, the city’s anniversary. The idea is to make a motorcade with the tractors in the streets of the municipality and invite deputy Elmar Nascimento, godfather of the parliamentary amendments, to participate in the festivities.

But it shouldn’t be the only party for machine delivery. Oppositionist Clevison Nunes (PP), known as Amigo Inho and defeated in the mayoral race in 2020, promises to do an act to deliver the backhoe to the Serra Azul farmers association, even with the machine in use for three months.

He claims that he mediated the donation by Codevasf to the association through federal deputy Dal (União Brasil). With his support, Dal was the second most voted parliamentarian in Itatim in the 2022 election, with 2,095 votes.

“It’s the political game, you show that you brought [o equipamento] through the deputy. These machines help the population a lot. Without them, many residents would not be able to dig a tank, for example”, says the opposition leader.

This is not the first time that Amigo Inho gets Codevasf machines, even in the opposition. Last year, he mediated the donation of a wheel loader to the Gameleira village association through the then federal deputy João Roma (PL). In 2022, the oppositionist supported the candidacy for state deputy of Vitor Azevedo (PL), political sponsor of Rome.

Disputes over tractors also include councilors and directors of municipal associations. Founded in 2020 and with about 40 members, the Association of Rural Workers of the Village of Serra Azul obtained from Codevasf agricultural machinery and implements that include a backhoe, trailer with water tank, tractor and brushcutter.

Who signed the term of donations from Codevasf and looked for the equipment was the president of the entity José Carlos Queiroz, Carlinhos. But the command of the association is claimed by former councilor Gauvalzinho Almeida de Andrade, 62, known as Gagai. He is vice-president of the Serra Azul association and father of councilors Nailson Andrade (PSD) and Nadson de Gagai (PP).

Gagai accuses Carlinhos of not accounting for the entity’s expenses and says he sued the Justice to take charge of the association, which would give him custody of Codevasf’s equipment.

“I founded this association and now they don’t want me to go near the tire of that backhoe”, criticizes Gagai. In conversation with Sheethe showed influence: he said he asked advice from a judge friend and reported meetings with important politicians in Bahia.

Carlinhos, in turn, claims that Gagai tried to take the backhoe to be under his guard, but was stopped by his associates, who threatened to call the police. He also said that he received a visit from a Codevasf inspector last week, who instructed him to allocate the machines to members and not allow any form of electoral use.

In the Serra Azul association, each member has to pay R$ 100 per hour to use the backhoe loader, which is used to cover fuel, operator and maintenance costs. For non-members, the price for using the machine is R$180 per hour.

Amid disputes over tractors, local politicians are mobilizing for the 2024 elections. Farmers in Serra Azul will remain alert until then, says Carlinhos: “Whoever was with us, we’ll be glued. those are lost.”

_{collaborated Cleiton Otavio and Nicholas Pretto}

_{The report was produced in partnership with Google from collections of documents published in the Pinpoint tool, access here.}