The leader of the PT-PCdoB and PV federation in the Chamber of Deputies, Lindbergh Farias (PT-RJ) classified as scandalous the decision of the president of the House, Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB) to put to vote today (9) the Bill (PL) 2162/23 that reduces the sentences for those involved in the coup acts, including that of former president Jair Bolsonaro and military officers.
“For the first time in history, generals and a former president, involved in a coup plot, were tried and it is unacceptable that Parliament wants, in an opportunistic way, to reduce Jair Bolsonaro’s sentence”, he criticized.
The announcement of the vote on the so-called Dosimetry PL was made by Motta, after the meeting of party leaders. The topic is considered controversial. Initially, the proposal provided for amnesty to those directly or indirectly involved in demonstrations that took place since the second round of the 2022 elections and which intended to prevent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking office as President of the Republic in 2023.
But the rapporteur, deputy Paulinho da Força (Solidariedade-SP), defended an alternative, proposing a reduction in sentences for those involved in the coup acts of January 8, 2023. The project was approved urgently, but faced resistance and never went to plenary.
“Every law has to be general, for everyone and they are clearly creating a specific law to benefit Bolsonaro”, added Farias.
The deputy also considered that the decision to discuss the matter occurred after the former president’s son, senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ), announced his pre-candidacy for the Presidency of the Republic, on Friday (5). On Sunday (7), the senator stated that the withdrawal of his pre-candidacy would be conditional on the vote on the amnesty project for those convicted of the January 8 coup acts.
“On Sunday, Flávio Bolsonaro announces that he may give up on his candidacy, but there is a price and, in our opinion, it seems that this price has started to be paid. I am not assuming that. I have reliable information that the vote was agreed at the meeting that Flávio had on Monday night [8] with the presidents of União Brasil, [Antônio] Rueda and PP, Ciro [Nogueira]”, said Farias during a press conference.
Motta denied giving in to pressure from Bolsonaro’s allies and stated that the decision was made by him.
“It was not taken to respond to anyone’s request. We understand that this is the moment where the matter is ripe to go to the plenary”, stated Motta.
The leader of PL, Bolsonaro’s party, in the Chamber, Sóstenes Cavalcanti (PL-RJ), celebrated the initiative. According to Sóstenes, the party defends amnesty, but has committed to not presenting any emphasis on changing points in the text.
“The reduction of sentences is just the first step. Our fight continues for what we have always defended: amnesty is amnesty. No adjectives, no middle terms,” he wrote in a social network.
Revocations
Farias also criticized Motta’s decision to take the decision on the revocation of the mandates of Carla Zambelli (PL-SP) and Alexandre Ramagem (PL-RJ) to the plenary. The leader argued that the revocation should have been carried out by an act of the Board of Directors, in accordance with the decision of the Federal Supreme Court (STF).
“In the case of Deputy Ramagem and Deputy Carla Zambelli, there is a judicial decision. They are convicted with finality and res judicata, it is in the judicial decision that the Chamber of Deputies should immediately rule out”, he criticized.
Zambelli was sentenced by the Federal Supreme Court (STF) to 10 years in prison, fine and loss of mandate in the case related to the invasion of the National Justice Council (CNJ) systems. The deputy, however, fled to Italy in July, shortly before her arrest was ordered.
Ramagem, former director of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin), during the government of Jair Bolsonaro, is on the run in Miami, United States, after being sentenced to 16 years in prison.
According to Farias, the Board’s non-decision pointed to the existence of a “group of fugitives”, which would also include Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL-SP), absent from the country since March of this year.
“The judicial decision has been fulfilled. In the case of Eduardo Bolsonaro, we filed several requests for impeachment. There was a complaint to President Hugo Motta, to say that there was a group of fugitives, I stated this in front of him”, added the deputy, who classified Motta’s decision to guide the impeachment of deputy Glauber Braga (PSOL-RJ) as surprising.
