Lula enters the crisis between Lira and Calheiros due to the collapse of the Braskem mine

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) decided to enter once and for all to try to resolve the open environmental and political crisis between senator Renan Calheiros (MDB-AL) and federal deputy Arthur Lira (PP-AL) because of the partial collapse in Braskem petrochemical mine, this weekend in Maceió.

In the early evening of this Monday (11), Lula scheduled a meeting with the two political rivals for the beginning of the working day on Tuesday (12) to try to reach a solution that minimizes the damage caused by the collapse to the state and to the image of the organization itself. Braskem, with whom Petrobras does business – is one of the shareholders, with a 47% stake.

Lira and Calheiros are political rivals in Alagoas, and will be placed face to face by Lula at 9:30 am. The meeting will also be attended by ministers Renan Filho (Transport) and Alexandre Padilha (Institutional Relations), the governor of Alagoas Paulo Dantas (MDB-AL), the mayor João Henrique Caldas (PL-AL), among others.

Lula also decided to enter the crisis to prevent the CPI that will be installed in the Senate this Tuesday (12) from spilling over into the government – government leaders in Congress are rushing to try to occupy key positions and avoid further damage or investigations that reach the Palácio do Planalto and to the state oil company.

In the first days of the announcement of an imminent collapse of the mine, Calheiros began criticizing the Maceió city hall, run by João Henrique Caldas (PL-AL), an ally of Lira. The president of the Chamber of Deputies tried to alleviate the situation by proposing a union of forces, but the senator continued with his criticisms.

The collapse of the mine and the environmental disaster it caused also directly affect Brazil’s plans to pose internationally as an example of environmental policies, with the government itself approving the exploration of the mine. Minister Alexandre Silveira, of Mines and Energy, stated that the petrochemical company will be held responsible for the disaster, but without mentioning what measures should be taken.

In parallel with the installation of the CPI, a request to the Chamber’s Administration and Public Service Commission (CASP) proposes the creation of a working group to monitor the measures taken by the petrochemical company and public authorities “in the face of the imminent disaster of an underground mine collapse”.

The request was presented by deputies Professor Luciene Cavalcante (PSol-SP) and Guilherme Boulos (PSol-SP) and claims that “since the 1980s, researchers have warned about the risks of leaks and sinking in the region”.

“The situation is very serious, with seismic shocks since 2018. In 2019, the company ended the extraction of rock salt and began closing the mines after being held responsible for damage to houses and streets. Maceió has 35 mines underground”, highlights the document.

The request highlights that part of Braskem’s corporate structure belongs to Petrobras, a publicly traded company. This justifies, according to the deputies, the need for monitoring and inspection by the Parliamentary Committee, given the relevance of the state-owned company in the corporate composition.