The Federal Attorney General’s Office (AGU) intends to file a lawsuit to try to force the electricity distribution company Enel to compensate the population of São Paulo for losses resulting from the blackout which left around 2.3 million consumers in the metropolitan region of São Paulo in the dark in September.
“She [Enel] will have to pay dearly for the damages suffered by the population”, said the attorney general, minister Jorge Messias, when participating, this Thursday (30), in the program Good Morning, Minister, from Canal Govand transmitted by Brazilian Communications Company (EBC).
“I am concluding an action for collective moral damage, so that the population of São Paulo is compensated for all the damages caused by Enel”, revealed Messias, adding that he had requested information from the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel ) and the National Consumer Protection Secretariat to support the legal action.
When mentioning that the supply of electricity to part of the metropolitan region of São Paulo had already been interrupted on other recent occasions, such as in March this year, when around 2.1 million consumers were harmed, Messias said that Enel “has already shown its incompetence several times”.
“Enel’s case is very serious. It is a priority for the federal government”, he added, ensuring that the federal government has been demanding that the National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel) – responsible for regulating the Brazilian electricity sector – fulfill its role and monitor Enel’s operations.
“It is unacceptable […] [Quase] the entire population [da região metropolitana] of São Paulo was subjected to the incompetence and inefficiency of this private company, concessionaire of an essential public service, regulated by Aneel, which has directors with mandate and autonomy [para, entre outras atribuições, regular a geração, transmissão, distribuição e comercialização de energia elétrica]”, added the minister.
Minister Jorge Messias wants the population of São Paulo to be compensated for losses caused by blackouts – Fabio Rodrigues-Pozzebom/ Agência Brasil
Environmental crimes
The Advocate General of the Union also defended the toughening of penalties for those who commit environmental crimes in Brazil. On the 15th, the federal government submitted a bill to the National Congress that proposes that the penalty for those who commit crimes such as setting fire to vegetation increases from four to six years and that any punishments are initially carried out in a closed regime.
“From a criminal point of view, fires, for example, currently have very low penalties. Which ends up discouraging people from complying with their environmental obligations. That’s why we created a bill that the president [Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva] presented to the National Congress to increase the penalties for these environmental offenders”, assured Messias, claiming that the legislation in force today comes from a time when society did not yet have the current “degree of environmental concern”, nor awareness of the seriousness of the changes climate.
