Brazil: Corruption investigations in Rio state’s administration guide governor elections debate

The fourth debate for the government of Rio de Janeiro was marked by an exchange of accusations between the current governor, Cláudio Castro (Liberal Party – PL), and congressman Marcelo Freixo (PSB).

The candidates who lead the electoral polls cited corruption cases around their opponents, bankers’ donations in the campaign, and the imprisonment of former governors and secretaries from Rio de Janeiro.

Besides Castro and Freixo, congressman Paulo Ganime (Novo) and the former mayor of Niterói Rodrigo Neves (PDT) participated in Tuesday’s, September 27, debate, held by TV Globo in Rio.

It was the last clash between the candidates for the Guanabara Palace before the first round, on October 2.

With only four candidates invited, almost all the clashes involved Castro or Freixo – only once Ganime and Neves faced each other.

The candidate of the left hit the key of alleged cases of corruption committed by the current governor and those around him.

He also cited the arrest of five state secretaries during the Witzel-Castro administration. The reelection candidate was Wilson Witzel’s vice-president, who was impeached in April 2021.

Castro distanced his image from the episodes and said that no evidence had been presented against him: “I’ve been in government for two years. My government doesn’t have an accusation [of corruption].”

Accused by Freixo of health fraud and scandal in the Ceperj Foundation, the current governor said that his opponent is the “candidate who lies the most” and that he has been condemned 16 times by the TRE-RJ (Regional Electoral Court of Rio de Janeiro).

The politician defended himself and said that these TRE decisions involving electoral propaganda cannot be confused with corruption cases.

And Castro, on the other hand, “can become a defendant at any moment”. He remembered that the last five governors of the state were arrested and said that the current one may have the same fate.

“There is the possibility that we will have a governor arrested again,” Freixo said of Castro. “I hope he doesn’t have the same fate,” he later declared.

ELECTIONS FOR PRESIDENT

The election for the Planalto was also a topic in the debate. Castro said little about President Jair Bolsonaro (PL), whom he supports for reelection.

He only declared that the head of the state supported him in the race for the state of Rio de Janeiro. However, he mentioned the support of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Workers’ Party – PT) for Marcelo Freixo a few times.

Taking advantage of the corruption agenda, Castro echoed Lula’s convictions by the Lava Jato operation. When accused by Freixo of corruption through plea bargains, he recalled that the artifice was also used in the processes that incriminated Lula.

Lula’s convictions were overturned after the STF (Federal Supreme Court) considered former judge Sergio Moro biased in judging the cases. The investigations have returned to the first instance but are likely to expire due to the advanced age of the former president.

Castro said that Freixo’s campaign received millionaire donations from the families who own Itaú bank. He also said that Freixo received R$200,000 (US$37,000) from the former president of the Central Bank, Armínio Fraga.

The current governor said that the donors “charge the bill later”, referring to Freixo’s connection with the “bankers”.

Freixo declined to comment. About Lula, he said that his eventual election to the Planalto “will bring peace to Rio de Janeiro”. He also said the PT candidate would have “more respect” for the state.

RODRIGO NEVES AND PAULO GANIME

Rodrigo Neves and Paulo Ganime also focused on episodes involving the leaders of the polls. Castro was the most targeted, mainly because of the investigations concerning the first level of the state executive.

The former mayor of Niterói also criticized the current administration because of the works stopped and abandoned by the state. He declared that the cities in the interior of Rio didn’t receive attention from Castro and cited problems in the city where he governed, which supposedly were not solved by the state government.

Castro rebutted and said Neves spent eight years in the city hall and couldn’t solve problems such as traffic jams and abandonment of leisure areas.

The PL candidate for reelection exalted his government’s performance in the infrastructure and public security sectors.

He affirmed that the state is today “a construction site” and that industries “are looking for Rio de Janeiro again”.

The pedestrian ironically answered: “Look, Castro, we hear you talking, and it seems that we are living on Mars.

Ganime also accused Castro of participation in the alleged hiring of “ghost employees” at Ceperj. He also amplified the comment about the practice at the University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Uerj).

The federal deputy for Novo also aimed at Freixo at the beginning of the debate. He claimed that his Chamber colleague’s marketer participated in Rio de Janeiro’s government campaigns, which had received accusations of cash 2.

Renato Pereira revealed the schemes when he worked on the campaigns of Sergio Cabral, Luiz Fernando Pezão, and Eduardo Paes. The first two were arrested for corruption.

“You can’t talk about morals and correctness if you are connected to people convicted of corruption,” declared Paulo Ganime. He also affirmed that the PSOLista “hangs his candidacy on Lula’s support”.

About the distance opened by Castro and Freixo in the electoral surveys, Ganime said: “We can’t vote for the candidate who has the most flags in the street. Who is being bankrolled with electoral funds.” The candidate highlighted his and his acronym’s policy of not using the Electoral Fund.

DIRECT CONFRONTATION BETWEEN FREIXO AND CASTRO

In the fourth and last block of the debate, Freixo and Castro had their first direct confrontation. The topic was pre-defined by a draw: the advance of the militias.

The second-place finisher in the polls criticized Castro’s public security management and pointed out failures in police operations in Rio’s slums.

Castro rebutted, exalting the team assembled by the government and the investment in intelligence in the corporations.

“I set up the biggest task force against militias. The Civil Police says that in 18 communities completely taken over by militia, the police are already having to fight drug trafficking again.

“It is a combat that has never been done in history. To trafficking as well,” said Cláudio Castro. “I am always the target of criticism for this operation,” he added.

Freixo also recalled the arrest of former Civil Police Secretary Allan Turnowski this month for a criminal organization and involvement in gambling. Witzel appointed him in September 2020.

Castro defended Turnowski’s appointment – he was a deputy at the time. He said he is one of the most respected delegates in the state. He declared it is “impossible that they manage to instrumentalize” the institution in the current scenario.

ECONOMY

The economic agenda was left out of the debate. The main proposal brought by Freixo was to raise the regional minimum wage to R$1,585 – above the national minimum wage and with an adjustment beyond the inflationary correction.

He also promised to pay the national floor for teachers. “It is a shame they haven’t done it yet,” he declared.

“We are going through a very serious moment – an unprecedented job crisis, violence, and health. It is necessary to integrate social, favela, and teacher movements. I achieved this as a deputy. Without unity and dialogue, Rio will not get out of this huge crisis it is in,” said Freixo.

Another proposal aimed at the lower class vote came from Rodrigo Neves. He said he intends to create a basic income program to attend to the almost 3 million “starving” people from Rio de Janeiro. It would be R$500 per month, according to the PDT candidate.

RIGHT OF REPLY

A highlight of the debate was the number of requests for answers: there were nine in total, monopolized by Castro and Freixo. The current governor requested seven and had four answered. Freixo had a 100% success rate, with two requests granted.

With information from Poder360