MST CPI ends early due to Centrão’s power play

The Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) of the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST) ended the investigation phase earlier than expected. The end of the investigations was motivated by regimental and judicial maneuvers that involved members of the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and Centrão in an attempt to shield allies. The deadline for closing the work of the CPI with the vote on the final report will be next September 14, but there was still the expectation of holding at least two meetings to take depositions.

In a note sent to the press on the night of the 4th, the president of the CPI of the MST, deputy Luciano Zucco (Republicanos-RS), informed that there would be no other meeting or hearing until the final report was considered. “The decision was taken due to the recent regulatory and judicial measures that made it impossible to continue the actions, testimonies, breaches of secrecy and other necessary measures to clarify the facts related to the land invasion industry in Brazil”, emphasizes the note that announced the end of the CPI.

Action by the government and Centrão made progress of the work unfeasible

The work of the MST CPI was made unfeasible at various times by the actions of the Lula government and Centrão. After a series of testimonies by former members of the MST and the approval of requests to convene members of the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), linked to the MST, there was intense movement behind the scenes at the CPI.

One of the first actions was the cancellation of all meetings for a week, before the two-week parliamentary recess, under the pretext of a concentrated vote on Tax Reform. With the cancellation of the meetings, Deputy Ricardo Salles (PL-SP), rapporteur of the CPI, stated that the work was hampered and the investigations that should take place during 120 days were reduced to 90 days.

There was also the cancellation of the request to summon the Chief Minister of the Civil House, Rui Costa, by the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur Lira (PP-AL). Armored by the governing base, which negotiated several times for the minister to go to the commission, Rui Costa ended up supported by an unprecedented decision by Lira.

However, the main factor in making the CPI unviable occurred after the withdrawal and exchange of members of the initial composition, which was dominated by the opposition. Starting with the Republicans, who removed three of the four members to which they were entitled from the composition, the weakening of the opposition continued with the change of names nominated by the Progressistas (PP) and União Brasil.

Although the Agricultural Parliamentary Front (FPA) tried to regain the majority, even during the last meeting in which there was a vote on requirements, the PP acted to guarantee the majority of votes in favor of the interests of the government and the MST.

For political analyst Carol Curimbaba, the fifth CPI that deals with issues related to the MST “will once again end without an emblematic milestone, but it has brought important achievements”. “It was possible to show the modus operandi of the MST, the inefficiency of the agrarian reform carried out in Brazil and that there is no efficient agrarian reform policy”, said the analyst.

For her, it is necessary to organize vulnerable families, who want a piece of land, and the available areas. “Taking the lands that are in compliance within the settlements would solve most of the problems”, added Carol Curimbaba.

The STF’s decision was the “final straw” for the early end of the MST CPI investigations, says analyst

Last Monday (4), Justice Luís Roberto Barroso, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), decided to suspend the testimony of two members of the Institute of Land and Agrarian Reform of Alagoas (Iteral). The request for suspension to the STF, presented by the Legislative Assembly of Alagoas, stated that there were no facts to be investigated at the federal level based on the hearing of state servants.

“Minister Barroso’s decision follows the understanding that the CPI [no âmbito] The federal government cannot question entities that would be the responsibility of the state or municipal level. This decision was only used as a last straw to cease the work of the CPI, which was already weakened by the strengthening of government figures”, said the political analyst.

On September 4th, the statements of Jaime Messias Silva and José Rodrigo Marques Quaresma, CEO and executive-administrative manager of Iteral, respectively, would be taken. Both were summoned to provide clarification on the allocation of funds to the MST. Among the invoices obtained by the CPI, to which the report by People’s Gazette had access to, were those that indicated payment for chartering buses for MST members to travel.

After Barroso’s decision, Zucco tried to appeal, but ended up opting to close the meetings and hearings. The end of these stages also affected the testimony given by two other investigators who would be heard on Tuesday (5). Marco Antônio Baratto Ribeiro Da Silva, from the national leadership of the MST in DF, had been summoned after being mentioned by a former member of the movement who attributed several threats to him. The former counselor of the Horizontes Novos de Novo Sarandi Rural Credit Cooperative (Crehnor Sarandi), Janete Confortin Giacomelli, would be heard to provide clarification on the cooperative’s links with the MST. Janete should also talk about the allocation of federal resources to the MST through the cooperative.

Opposition deputies say the government acted out of “desperation” and to “defend criminals”

Despite the early end of the MST’s CPI, opposition deputies believe that it was possible to reach important conclusions in the investigations carried out. Federal deputy Caroline De Toni (PL-SC) assesses that the CPI was able to unmask the movement’s organization and show its link with the federal government. “The clear attempt to disrupt the progress of the CPI’s work is evidence of this. The left was not content with obstructing – which is regimentedly legitimate. The left acted in a sordid way, usurping the right of several deputies to participate in the work of the Commission. Rest assured that we will deliver to Brazil a complete dossier of the modus operandi of those who use the poor to perpetrate terror in the countryside”, assures the Santa Catarina deputy.

For Deputy Rodolfo Nogueira (PL-MS), “the federal government worked day and night to weaken and destroy the MST’s CPI, as if it were afraid of investigations”. for this pseudo movement, and it was from that moment on that the Executive intensified the attacks on the collegiate. This shows the consequences of messing with organized crime: the government takes action to defend these criminals. Despite interference in the commission, I am convinced that the rapporteur will present a robust report, unmasking this criminal organization”, said the deputy.

In the evaluation of the vice-president of the CPI, deputy Kim Kataguiri (União-SP), the commission’s mission was accomplished. “The government despaired seeing that criminals linked to the government would be indicted and decided to use its machine to remove oppositionists from the commission. The PT attack shows that we have fulfilled our mission and put our finger on the wound”, said the parliamentarian.

Political analyst Carol Curimbaba reinforces the position of parliamentarians. “The MST’s CPI was muffled by the power of the political mechanism. Due to the strong negotiation of the government, which was being most affected by the CPI, and by the Centrão, with the handover of government positions, ministries and parliamentary amendments”, said the specialist.

Government officials articulate a parallel report for the MST CPI

One of the main left-wing figures in the CPI was deputy Sâmia Bomfim (Psol-SP). During the investigations, the connections of the deputy with the movements of invasion of properties were evidenced. Sâmia even hired one of the leaders of the Frente Nacional de Lutas Campo e Cidade (FNL) as her advisor and can be mentioned in Salles’ report as encouraging the invasions.

In this context, the deputy articulates the presentation of a parallel report. Asked about the content of the report, the deputy’s advisor highlighted that “there will be no surprises and no one will be indicted, contrary to what Salles intends. But it will report, in fact, what happened at the CPI and it is widely documented”, she pointed out. Sâmia’s report already has an initial text that was presented to deputy Nilto Tatto (PT-SP), so that the other left-wing deputies can make their contributions.

According to Sâmia’s office, the report prepared by the left will emphasize “all the accusations without proof, acts of abuse of authority, invasions of property by members in settlements, several cases of gender-based political violence that are already being investigated by PGR”. The parallel report should also emphasize agrarian reform and the struggle for land.

In the assessment of deputy Sâmia Bomfim, “the CPI reaches its final end without being able to prove anything against the MST”. “The president and the rapporteur do not have the strength to approve a report. A CPI that would serve to strengthen the Bolsonarists against the left actually served to give popularity to the social movement and demoralize the extreme right,” said the parliamentarian.