From Rio de Janeiro
Walking fast in the sixth month of his third presidential term, Lula da Silva faces in a row – and very worrying – setbacks in congressespecially among deputies.
The truth is that the presidential system is under great pressure in Brazil, victim of attempted impose a parliamentarism not provided for in the Constitution by members of both the right harder as the extreme right Bolsonaro installed in the Chamber of Deputies.
Specifically, today in Brazil the Chamber ceased to integrate one of the three institutional powers, along with the Executive and the Judiciary, to try to act as controller not only of the government, but mainly of something that in times of the unbalanced far-right jair bolsonon was sent to him: the so-called “secret budget”.
It is about the distribution of generous bundles of money without identifying the beneficiary deputy or its destination.
As happened during the past governmentthe gang that managed to maintain control of the Chamber intends to continue having billions of dollars to scatter among allies and, as there are plenty of indications, through their pockets.
Aware that he would have to reach out to adversaries and open up space in his ministry to gain any support in Congress, Lula gave up a lot. But he did not count on the Olympic dimension of the appetite of those who do nothing but blackmail the government.
He also lacks a skillful political articulation sufficient to reach agreements regarding initiatives considered essential in his administration.
The issues related to the environment and to the indigenous population they were emptied, well as the two corresponding ministries, and even the structure of the government was one millimeter away from being destroyed in the Chamber of Deputies.
By now, it is crystal clear that the attempt to block Lula is still in force.
Arthur Lira, the president of the Chamber, is the visible and palpable leader of this gang, which has the full support not only of bolsonarista deputies but also from a right that always knew how to navigate no matter who was in the Presidency.
In accordance with what the Constitution establishes, projects approved in the Chamber need the approval of the Senate, where Lula has the support and space to reject them. But that rejection requires time, and time is becoming increasingly shorter for Lula.
The feeling that is growing every day is that His government walks at the pace of a turtle, when hare steps were expected.
All because of Bolsonaro’s cursed inheritance.
To first avoid impeachment and then secure full support for his re-election, the lopsided and corrupt far-right distributed oceans of public resources to allies controlled by gang member and blackmailer Arthur Lira in the House.
The amount of money diverted is not yet known. Every day there are more indications and proofs of the destination of the money, such as the millions sent to truckers, taxi drivers and “the most disadvantaged class of the town”, through loans offered by Caixa Económica, one of the public banks.
The Bolsonaro government was so generous that it has already been detected that among the beneficiaries there are thousands of deaths, of people who did not even travel by truck but were benefited and of retired taxi drivers.
But the deputies who are the authors of the distribution are still swarming in the Chamber, eager for more and more.
Lula realized that it is no longer enough to distribute ministries to have support in the Chamber. No, no: the deputies want money. And for that they threaten to freeze him and his government.
Thus we have another sequel to the worst and most abject government in the history of the Republic, whose head continues to walk through life while waiting – we all wait – for Justice to come out of its lethargy.