GSI discloses Lula’s commitments and preserves private agenda – 06/14/2023 – Politics

The GSI (Institutional Security Office) released the list of visitors to the Alvorada and Jaburu palaces for official appointments, in a change in the portfolio’s previous understanding on the subject. The agenda that he considers private, however, was kept confidential.

These are the official residences of President Lula (PT) and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin (PSB), respectively. The GSI is responsible for the security of both, in addition to protecting the Presidency’s assets and palaces.

In March of this year, the government had imposed secrecy on all visit records until the end of the mandate, on the grounds that disclosure could jeopardize the safety of the Chief Executive and his family.

Now, under the command of General Marco Antônio Amaro dos Santos, the folder released the records of authorities and closest advisors who visited Lula in Alvorada in recent months, in response to a request from the Sheet done through the Freedom of Information Act

“We have forwarded, based on the provisions of Statement No. 2/2023 of the Comptroller General of the Union (CGU), the attached spreadsheets, with the names of the visitors who took part in official events at the Palácio da Alvorada and at the Palácio do Jaburu, in the requested period “, says the ministry, in response.

Sought after by the report, the GSI said that it only adapted the answers to the understanding of the CGU.

The Comptroller’s text to which the GSI refers is a February determination that entry and exit records from official residences be protected “because they reveal aspects of the intimacy and private life of public authorities and their family members, unless such records say respect to official agendas, which have publicity as a rule, or refer to private agents who are representing interests with the Public Administration”.

There were 201 visitors to official appointments at Alvorada from January to May 3, the most recent date sent. In the case of Jaburu, Alckmin received only two in the same period: the Minister of Social Security, Carlos Lupi (PDT), and the pedetista deputy André Figueiredo (CE).

The spreadsheet presented by the GSI shows that Lula received, for the most part, authorities, parliamentarians, ministers of state and presidential advisors. There is also the record of Arthur Lira (PP-AL), president of the Chamber, and the president of Argentina, Alberto Fernández.

However, there are some inconsistencies and lack of standardization in the list sent by the GSI. The first is that not all records are on the president’s official agenda, released daily by his communications office.

On February 17, before leaving for Salvador, the Chief Executive was at Alvorada, according to the official agenda, with ministers Alexandre Padilha (Institutional Relations), Paulo Pimenta (Social Communication), Fernando Haddad (Finance), Wellington Dias ( Social Development), Rui Costa (Casa Civil) and Carlos Fávaro (Agriculture).

In the list sent by the GSI, however, the PT president and federal deputy, Gleisi Hoffmann (PR), and the Minister of Human Rights, Silvio Almeida, still appear in the same commitment. Wellington Dias, despite appearing on the official agenda, does not appear on the GSI list.

On March 23, Paulo Okamatto, president of the Perseu Abramo Foundation, spent two hours at Alvorada, despite not being listed on the Planalto Palace website.

The records begin to be dated on February 17, 11 days after Lula and the first lady, Rosângela da Silva, better known as Janja, moved to Alvorada. Prior to that, they were staying at a luxury hotel in the capital while the palace underwent repairs.

Another point is that, in some cases, the entry and exit times do not appear. The worksheet is organized by name, date, times and title. In addition, names without surnames appeared, such as the visit of “Livia” from the Civil House, on March 28, or “Thiago”, four days earlier, described only as an “assistant”.

Secrecy of the agenda wore down the Lula government

The imposition of secrecy on visitor records, released in March of this year, brought wear and tear to the government. At the time, the GSI was commanded by Gonçalves Dias, better known as GDias.

The wear occurred in particular because the government had already decided, at the beginning of the year, to withdraw secrecy imposed by its predecessor Jair Bolsonaro (PL), including on visits received by former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro.

In a note at the time, Secom (Secretary of Communication of the Presidency of the Republic) said that there was no inconsistency, arguing that data from the agendas are released after the completion of the mandates.

The GSI also argued that it could not disclose the records because it did not have “means to identify, in the database of registration of entry to the official residences of the President and Vice President of the Republic, the records that belong to official agendas or private agents , in order to comply with the provisions of Statement No. 2 of the Comptroller General of the Union”.

The folder also said that it was seeking to change the form of identification at the entrances to the palaces to meet requests.

The episode opposed the GSI and the CGU, which defended the disclosure of the names of authorities who participate in official commitments in Alvorada and Jaburu.

As soon as he took office, one of Lula’s promises was to end the secrecy imposed by the previous administration. Also in January, the disclosure of information on the visits received by the former first lady at Alvorada was authorized.

In all, 565 people have been to the palace to meet Michelle in the past year and the year before last. The person who visited it the most last year was Nídia Limeira de Sá, director of Accessibility and Support for People with Disabilities at the Ministry of Education. On average, there were four meetings per month.

She also hosted beauty professional Juliene Cunha 24 times at Alvorada. At the time, Michelle went to social networks and mocked the disclosure of the content: “Making just one correction: the ‘hairdresser’ is my manicurist”, she posted by sharing a link with the information and an animation of laughter.