Opposition priority in the 8/1 CPMI is to break the secrecy of videos

The opposition’s demand for the installation of the Joint Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPMI) on January 8 gained new momentum after the release, this Wednesday (19), of images showing the work of the Institutional Security Office (GSI) during the invasion of the Planalto Palace, at the beginning of the year.

The images of the closed circuit of the Palácio do Planalto cameras, obtained by CNN Brasil, revealed that members of the GSI did not contain the invaders. Some of the agents even offered water to the group. The GSI minister, General Marco Gonçalves Dias, also appears circulating among the invaders at the Planalto Palace, without trying to contain them.

On social networks, opposition deputies reacted quickly to the revelation of the images and demanded the continuation of investigations by the CPMI. “Lula’s GSI not only facilitated the entry of the invaders on January 8, but the invaders also received guidance from the GSI minister, Gonçalves Dias, chosen by Lula. There is no doubt that the CPMI is a priority”, said André Fernandes (PL-CE), author of the request for the opening of the commission of inquiry.

Kim Kataguiri (União Brasil-SP) also protested in front of the videos. “It explains why the government is desperate for the CPMI not to take place. GSI was on site and did nothing. Invaders had open doors, were greeted and even given water. The evidence of the scandal is there,” he wrote. “Lula’s minister (Gonçalves Dias) has a lot to explain”, also provoked Nikolas Ferreira (PL-MG). “That’s why the images are kept confidential”, added Mario Frias (PL-SP).

In response to the images released, the GSI said this Wednesday that the work to contain the invasion was, at first, to concentrate the protesters on the second floor of the Planalto Palace until the arrival of reinforcements from the Military Police riot squad. of the Federal District. The folder also said that the conduct of agents who allegedly collaborated with the invaders is being investigated in an investigative investigation, and that, if proven, they will be held accountable.

The GSI Minister, General Marco Gonçalves Dias, had been invited to participate in a hearing in the Chamber of Deputies this Wednesday (19). However, after the images of the invasion of the Planalto Palace were released, he presented a certificate, claiming that he could not attend the session. Also this Wednesday, the deputies of the Public Security Commission approved the minister’s summons for next Wednesday (26), at 2 pm. Unlike the invitation, the summons obliges the official to attend the committee meeting.

Opposition wants disclosure of confidential documents

The charge renewed by the CPMI comes a day after the president of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), decided to postpone for another week the session of Congress that would read the application for the creation of the collegiate. The opposition has already gathered the minimum number of signatures from senators and deputies – it has the support of 194 deputies and 37 senators, while the requirement is 171 deputies and 27 senators – and since February it has been pressuring the leader of Congress for the CPMI to be installed.

In addition to individual accountability for the crimes, the oppositionists want to investigate whether there was an omission by federal authorities through breach of secrecy and disclosure of documents and records unknown to the public, especially those in the possession of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin).

The objective is to clarify the role in the episode played by the GSI, by the Minister of Justice, Flávio Dino, and even by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT). Marco Gonçalves Dias, from the CSI, has a hearing scheduled this Wednesday afternoon, at the Chamber’s Public Security Commission, where he should speak about January 8th.

The main suspect to be investigated is whether Abin warned the government about the possibility of large and violent demonstrations on January 8. In this sense, the CPMI would make requests for access to complete images of the invasions and explanations about the reduced policing in the invaded areas, despite documented alerts. The images released by CNN would be an incentive to investigate this.

“Not even the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) and the CPI of the District Chamber dedicated to this investigation managed to have full access to documents and videos about the investigations of the acts, which leads to believe that there are very serious and revealing evidences of prevarication” , says Senator Marcos Duval (Podemos-ES).

For André Rosa, professor of Political Science at the Centro Universitário do Distrito Federal (UDF), the current context suggests that the government will try to make the creation of the CPMI unfeasible, “since members of the opposition, especially those most linked to[o ex-presidente Jair] Bolsonaro, rely on the immediate results of the investigations to wear down Lula politically, with a firmer attack against the Minister of Justice”.

In the political scientist’s assessment, the resilience of the number of supporters to the request for the creation of the CPMI, in greater numbers than necessary, reveals a “strong cohesion of parliamentarians interested in discussing the possible security flaws of the Executive itself”. He understands that, after more than 100 days of the acts in Praça dos Três Poderes, the new approach proposed by the opposition emerged, in parallel with the “attack on democracy”.

If the CPMI moves forward, the fear is that a weakening of the government would jeopardize President Lula’s priority guidelines, such as the new fiscal framework, which the mayor, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), pledged to approve in three weeks, by mid-May.

Government reacted quickly and massively to block installation

The battle for the next few days in Congress continues to be maintaining the number of signatures in support of the application.

Leaders of the House and Senate managed to overthrow this Tuesday’s session (18) on the grounds that Congress should wait for the Planalto project to be sent to make the national nursing floor viable. Now, the government supporters’ task until the new session, scheduled for Wednesday (26), is to withdraw at least 33 signatures in support of the CPMI, 23 from the Chamber and 10 from the Senate.

It is said behind the scenes of Congress that the mission given to the government base is to provoke the withdrawal of at least one third of CPMI supporters in their respective parties. The biggest weight was on account of União Brasil, which has 29 supports. Then comes the MDB, with 12. The PSD, which had already halved the total number of pro-CPMI deputies, will seek to take six out of the remaining 12.

According to analysts interviewed by People’s Gazettewhat is encouraging the government for now is a sign made by the second largest party bloc in the Chamber, with 142 members from the MDB, PSD, Republicans, Podemos and PSC, under the current leadership of Fábio Macedo (Podemos-MA) – part of the Centrão that took off from the group that supports the mayor, Arthur Lira (PP-AL).

Leaders of the parties that make up this bloc signed on Tuesday morning (18) the request for Pacheco to postpone the session of Congress: Antônio Brito (leader of PSD), Isnaldo Bulhões (leader of MDB), Fábio Macedo (leader of Podemos ), Hugo Motta (leader of the Republicans) and Felipe Carreras (leader of the PSB), in addition to Zeca Dirceu (PT Federation, PCdoB and PV).

Despite this indication, it remains to be seen what the terms of negotiation between this bloc and the Lula government are being. Opposition deputies denounced to the Attorney General’s Office that they were offered parliamentary amendments of R$ 60 million to R$ 100 million, in addition to positions in the second and third echelons.

In case the government fails to prevent the installation of the CPMI, Lula’s allies have already begun to evaluate the possibility of involving Centrão parties, with the appointment of members aligned with the Planalto to form a majority in the collegiate of 15 incumbents and 15 alternates.

The majority bloc in the Chamber, led by Lira, with 173 deputies from the PP, União Brasil, PDT, PSB, PSDB/Cidadania, Avante, Patriota and Solidariedade, has priority and the advantage in the number of nominations, with five vacancies.

The block of MDB, PSD, Republicans, Podemos and PSC, second largest in the House, would have four, PL three, PT two and PSOL/Rede one. The isolation of the PL from the other blocs headed by the PP and the Republicans, parties in the base of the Bolsonaro government (PL), favors these negotiations.