Senator Chico Rodrigues negotiates membership of the PSB – 01/19/2023 – Power

Former deputy leader of the Jair Bolsonaro (PL) government in the Senate, Senator Chico Rodrigues (União Brasil-RR) became the target of a dispute between parties and is negotiating a move to the PSB, the acronym of the vice president of the Republic, Geraldo Alckmin ( PSB).

Today at União Brasil, Rodrigues even participated in December in the meeting of the PL bench that hammered out the name of the elected senator Rogério Marinho (PL-RN) to run for the presidency of the Senate.

During the announcement of Marinho’s candidacy, members of the PL stated that the senator had signed the party affiliation form and that the bench in the next legislature would increase from 14 to 15 members.

In addition to being deputy leader of the Bolsonaro government, Chico Rodrigues employed Leonardo Rodrigues de Jesus, known as Leo Índio, a cousin of the sons of the former president of the Republic and a trusted man of councilor Carlos Bolsonaro (Republicanos-RJ).

Now, PT members take Chico Rodrigues’s move to the PSB for granted and joke that he is already being called “comrade Chico Rodrigues” — in reference to the expression that is a trademark of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT).

The senator left the vice-leadership of the Bolsonaro government in the Senate in 2020 after being spotted with money in his underwear in a PF (Federal Police) operation against the diversion of resources to combat Covid-19.

Rodrigues was removed from office by decision of the STF (Federal Supreme Court) and only returned to his mandate in February 2021.

At the time, the parliamentarian stated in a letter to colleagues that he had never committed any offense and that he was unable to “maintain the most appropriate balanced behavior” because he panicked with the arrival of the PF.

Chico Rodrigues has told allies that he is grateful to the president of the PL, Valdemar Costa Neto, for the invitation to join the party. But he claims to interlocutors that being at the base of the Lula government can be more advantageous for the state of Roraima at this moment.

The senator personally met with Alckmin and has been talking to different ministers of the new government. Rodrigues attended the vice-president’s inauguration ceremony at the Ministry of Development, Industry and Commerce.

People close to the senator also complain about the treatment given to him by leaders of União Brasil. In the Senate, the acronym is controlled by the former President of the House, Senator Davi Alcolumbre (AP).

Chico Rodrigues published a video on his social networks in which he states that he will remain “vigilant”, but praises the new government. “Government of President Lula, who has all the commitment and responsibility to make the lives of Brazilians better.”

Sought, the senator’s advisory stated that he is still talking to different parties.

The PT wants to strengthen the PSB to increase support for Lula in the Senate. The party has a single representative in the House, Senator Dário Berger (SC) —who was unable to be re-elected. In October, the acronym elected only the current Minister of Justice and Public Security, Flávio Dino (PSB-MA).

Another name that can join Chico Rodrigues in the PSB is Senator Jorge Kajuru (Podemos-GO). Allies of the senator claim that he should join the PSB in the next few days and assume leadership of the bench.

Kajuru was invited to return to the PSB by the president of the acronym, Carlos Siqueira, by Alckmin and by the secretary of Legislative Affairs of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, federal deputy Elias Vaz (PSB-GO).

First alternate on Dino’s ticket, the deputy mayor of Pinheiro (MA), Ana Paula Lobato (PSB-MA), has already decided that she will remain on the PSB. With the affiliation of at least two other senators, the PSB would be able to reach the minimum number for one of the parliamentarians to be promoted to leader.

Representation guarantees the parliamentarian and the party a series of advantages, such as participation in the Senate’s college of leaders, the possibility of directing votes, and preference in speeches in the plenary and commissions.

Senator Eliziane Gama (Cidadania-MA) is also considering changing parties. Allies of the senator claim that she can join the PSD —acronym of the president of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG)— or the MDB —legend of the Minister of Planning, Simone Tebet (MS).

Eliziane does not hide her dissatisfaction with the decision of the Citizenship bench in the Chamber to remain independent from the Lula government. The announcement was made on Saturday (14), in a note signed by federal deputy Alex Manente (Cidadania-SP).

The senator actively participated in Lula’s campaign in the second round and was one of the articulators of the letter that the petista addressed to evangelicals. A friend of Tebet, she was also on stage during the inauguration ceremony of the Minister of Planning.