Lula ignores minister’s link with militiamen and sees only ‘photo’ – 02/17/2023 – Politics

President Lula (PT) sought to minimize the link between minister Daniela Carneiro (Tourism) and militiamen from Baixada Fluminense, in Rio de Janeiro. In an interview with CNN Brasil, the petista treated the case only as a “photograph” and ignored a series of links between the minister and the Rio de Janeiro militia.

“She appeared in a truck there with a militia guy. Honestly, if we take into account people who are photographed alongside other people, we won’t talk to anyone, because I’m the guy who takes the most photographs in the world”, said the president.

“If I’m going to take a picture of Lula with people who have become my enemy, I’m completely screwed for the rest of my life. Let’s judge correctly, let’s not be in a hurry”, he added.

Reports from Sheet in January, they showed that the minister maintained a political link with former PM Juracy Prudêncio, known as Jura, convicted of commanding a militia in the Baixada Fluminense, and former councilor Marcio Pagniez, known as Marcinho Bombeiro, who was preventively arrested on a similar charge.

The minister has repeated that the political support received from the former PM and the former councilor does not mean condone with any crimes committed by them.

The former corporal of the Military Police of Rio de Janeiro was arrested in 2009 on charges of leading a militia, called Bonde do Jura, which, according to the Justice, carried out threats, extortions and homicides in the neighborhoods of Belford Roxo, Queimados, Nova Iguaçu and São João de Meriti, cities of Baixada Fluminense.

He is also accused of killing a young man in Nova Iguaçu due to a fight between the victim’s sister and the girlfriend of one of the members of Bonde do Jura. He was sentenced in 2014 for the two crimes to sentences that, added, reach 26 years in prison.

Jura participated in the minister’s campaign activities in 2018, delivering pamphlets, participating in meetings and walks alongside the then candidate for federal deputy.

In last year’s election, the militiaman’s wife, Giane Prudêncio, also participated in the campaign. She was on stage at the minister’s candidacy launch event, as well as organized walks in favor of Daniela, using campaign material such as flags, banners, pamphlets and stickers.

The connection between the minister’s campaign and the militiaman is not just a photo, as Lula suggested. There are photos and videos that show the militiaman’s direct participation in Daniela’s campaign. In addition to the walks together, Jura was the host of a rally in which he was on the platform next to the minister, who embraced him when he arrived at the place.

The militiaman was also called “leadership” by Daniela after a campaign walk. He also attended the birthday party of the mayor of Belford Roxo, Waguinho (União Brasil), the minister’s husband, after the campaign in 2018.

Jura participated in the campaign while he was serving his sentence in a semi-open regime —since July 2017.

He was authorized to leave the prison from Monday to Friday and work from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, and on Saturdays from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. Participation in campaign acts was not part of the authorization given to the militia member.

Jura’s name appeared for the first time in the CPI das Milícias at the end of 2008, under suspicion of controlling five neighborhoods in Nova Iguaçu, neighboring Belford Roxo.

That year, he was the second most voted for the City Council of the city, having not taken office because his coalition did not reach the necessary electoral coefficient.

Jura was arrested in 2009 when he was already known in Baixada Fluminense for his political activities and the suspicions about him. The police action was followed by demonstrations in some neighborhoods in the region.

In addition, the City Hall of Belford Roxo, headed by the minister’s husband, informed the Penal Execution Court of the possibility of appointing the militiaman, so that he could progress to the semi-open regime and leave prison.

The former PM managed to progress to the semi-open regime after receiving a job offer as an advisor to a secretariat of the City Hall of Belford Roxo, managed by the minister’s husband.

In addition, the minister maintains a political link with two others accused of leading militia in Belford Roxo (RJ).

Before being appointed by Lula, Daniela campaigned last year alongside councilor Fábio Brasil, known as Fabinho Varandão, and family members of former councilor Márcio Pagniez, known as Marcinho Bombeiro. The two were arrested on suspicion.

Responding to the accusations in freedom, Varandão has been part of the secretariat of the City Hall of Belford Roxo since 2021, commanded by Wagner dos Santos Carneiro, Waguinho (União Brasil), husband of the minister. He is currently in the Science and Technology portfolio.

Marcinho Bombeiro is still in prison, but his sister and father were also named in the city hall. The two also took an active part in the minister’s campaign last year and hosted a rally in the neighborhood where, according to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the so-called Tropa do Marcinho operated.

Daniela was appointed minister as a way of contemplating the União Brasil and expanding the female presence in the government assembly.

It was also a reward for her and her husband’s efforts in the second round campaign in favor of President Lula. The couple was one of the few leaders to openly support the PT in Baixada Fluminense — the minister’s husband, Waguinho, is mayor of Belford Roxo.

Daniela was re-elected federal deputy as the most voted in Rio de Janeiro. Such as Sheet showed in October, her campaign was marked by irregular support from Military Police officers and by the hostile and armed environment against political opponents from her electoral base.