Lula criticizes Bolsonaro for secrecy and creates a government without transparency

The constant accusation by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), started during the electoral campaign, about the supposed lack of transparency in the management of Jair Bolsonaro (PL) faces contradictions in his own government. Despite the PT’s allegations that he prioritizes the adoption of routines and tools to make the federal administration transparent, reality has shown the opposite approach. Lula’s actions in almost eight months in office point to “zero transparency”.

The posture of hiding data and attitudes includes measures such as enacting secrecy of the images from the cameras of the Planalto Palace, excluding meetings from the official agenda, making it difficult to disclose millionaire expenses on travel and at the Alvorada Palace, and postponing the activation of ministries channels in the Internet. Other actions against transparency involve the late disclosure of calculations on the financial impact of the tax reform proposals and the fiscal framework for citizens, and even the formula adopted by Petrobras to set increases in fuel prices, complex even for specialists.

This discrepancy between discourse and practice raises questions about the government’s real commitment to providing clear and accessible information to citizens, as well as its true degree of openness. The most explicit case of Lula’s lack of commitment to providing information of general interest was the blackout on the 15th, which left 25 states and the Federal District without electricity for hours. In addition to not presenting the causes, the government asked the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin) and the Federal Police (PF) to investigate the alleged crime of sabotage in a possible attempt to assign blame to someone.

For Walter Fróes, director of CMU Comercializadora de Energia, the complete lack of transparency surrounding the episode that brought down the entire national interconnected system surprised the market and still fosters a feeling of growing insecurity among its agents. “We have one of the most technically robust electrical sectors in the world, capable of detecting any fault throughout the territory, in a matter of hours. Therefore, the delay in providing clarifications raises various types of suspicions, ”he noted.

Secret meetings contradict promise of open agreements

Lula’s routine of secret meetings with the mayor, deputy Arthur Lira (PP-AL), and other authorities has intensified in recent weeks due to the negotiations surrounding the ministerial reform to accommodate Centrão parties in the government. Meetings in official residences, almost always at night, are not on the agenda of the President of the Republic or those of his interlocutors, but ended up being caught by the press. Contradicting his promise to “negotiate in broad daylight”, Lula and Lira’s secret meetings use subterfuges to try to deceive reporters, such as dismissing the presidential security convoy.

Despite the attempt to hide the meetings, advisers have confirmed the visits of “hidden negotiators” to the Alvorada Palace and those of the Chief Executive to the official residence of the Chamber and other places, such as a dinner at the home of Minister Gilmar Mendes, of the Supreme Federal Court (STF), with Minister Cristiano Zanin, on the eve of his inauguration.

Other Lula meetings were treated as merely informal, such as a barbecue at the home of the Secretary of Communication (Secom), Paulo Pimenta, with the government’s political articulators, to address the effort to expand the support base in Congress.

Even after all the evidence, secret meetings continue to be formally denied by the Planalto, by Secom and by advisors from other powers. Still at the president’s inauguration ceremony, on January 1, 2023, there was an attempt to hide the guest list, but the Planalto backed down after the negative repercussions.

Physiology with amendments continues after the end of the secret budget

During the presidential race, one of the points of the Bolsonaro government that received scathing criticism from Lula was the alleged commitment to transparency in the management of public resources, especially with regard to the controversial secret budget, formed by the amendments of the general rapporteur (RP9). However, the extinction of this mechanism at the end of 2022 by the Federal Supreme Court (STF) did not result in transparent use of funds. For the president of the Chamber, deputy Arthur Lira (PP-AL), in practice the opposite of this expectation was observed, with reallocation of RP9 resources for RP2 amendments, under the control of the ministers of State of the PT administration.

He explained that this movement resulted in the retreat of the visibility of the expenses foreseen by the parliamentarians in the Union Budget. The previous system of RP9 amendments, indicated by the Legislative and administered by the Executive, was basically replicated in the case of the RP2. “The difference resides in the fact that, before, the amendments were proposed by the general rapporteur and, later, discussed between the Legislative and the Executive, so that both powers were aware of the destination of the resources. Currently, however, only the minister has exclusive access to this information, as is the case with the expressive BRL 200 billion allocated to Health”, said Lira.

Millionaire travel expenses are still unknown

Expenses involving Lula’s trips abroad, with stays in luxury hotels and large entourages, totaled close to R$ 25 million in the first half. The amount was only known due to the use of the Access to Information Law (LAI) by the portal Power360. But these values ​​still do not include the expenses of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with transfers by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), still kept under secrecy determined by the Institutional Security Office (GSI).

Interestingly, Lula claimed that the LAI had been raped by Bolsonaro’s impositions of secrecy. “I couldn’t miss today, in an act that we came to reinforce and defend an 11-year-old child, who is LAI, who was raped not long ago and who we are recovering today, so that the Brazilian people can see for this child to become an adult and live for the rest of his life, demanding that this country be increasingly serious in dealing with public affairs,” said the PT candidate in May.