President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva participated this Wednesday (31) in the handover of expansion and modernization works at four airports in Mato Grosso: Cuiabá, Sinop, Rondonópolis and Alta Floresta. The reforms include adaptation of terminals, yards and runways. 
The works cost R$570 million, with investments of R$372 million from the New PAC, of which R$317.2 million was financed by the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES). In 2023, the four airports handled around 3.5 million passengers, including boarding and disembarking.
At Cuiabá International Airport, renovations, expansions and modernizations were carried out, in addition to the implementation of operational improvements, such as a new food court, new elevators, escalators and baggage carousels. At the Sinop, Alta Floresta and Rondonópolis airfields, Centro-Oeste Airports (COA), the terminal manager, built new passenger terminals, expanded the runways and apron and installed new air navigation aids.
During the event, the Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho, announced that the internationalization of Cuiabá airport will be completed in the coming weeks. “In the coming weeks, Cuiabá airport will be internationalized to receive flights from the international market, given the importance of agribusiness for the state.” According to him, the four airports that received improvements are essential for the development of aviation and tourism infrastructure in the region.
Home delivery
Still in Mato Grosso, President Lula participated in the delivery of one thousand new housing units of the Minha Casa, Minha Vida (MCMV) program in the Colinas Douradas 1 and 2 Residential Complex in Várzea Grande (MT). The total investment is R$94.1 million, of which R$90 million comes from the Residential Leasing Fund and R$4.1 million is a counterpart from the state government, ensuring housing for approximately 4 thousand people.
Lula recalled that the program was created during his second term and said that he fought to ensure that the apartments were of better quality. According to him, the commitment is to deliver 2 million homes during his third term.
“The fact that you get a house for free because you receive Bolsa Família is not a favor from us, it is the payment of a debt that this country has with the poor people,” said Lula, guaranteeing that he is also “fighting” to lower the price of electricity for lower-income families.
Each of the developments has 500 housing units, of the superimposed house type. Each unit has a private area of 47.39 m² on the ground floor and 46.43 m² on the upper floor.
During the event, the governor of Mato Grosso, Mauro Mendes (União Brasil) was booed by the audience present. Lula took the microphone to ask for respect for the governor.
“The governor is not here because he wants to be, but because he was invited by me and the federal government. This is an institutional act, by the Presidency of the Republic, and in every state I go to I invite the governor and the mayor. If you, who are my friends and colleagues, do not treat him well, when I go to an event that he invites me to, his people will not treat me well either. We have to respect that,” said the president.
