The federal government has promised to release more resources to combat fires and purchase equipment so that states can face one of the worst droughts in decades in the country. The guarantee was made by the Chief of Staff, Rui Costa, after a meeting with governors of the Central-West and North regions, on the afternoon of this Thursday (19), at the Planalto Palace.
The meeting was an initiative of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who this week also met with the heads of Powersto define the expansion of measures against fire. According to the minister, in addition to the R$ 514 million extraordinary credit released, the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) will have a line of credit for the purchase of vehicles and equipment for use by firefighters, and the states will receive new resources based on the presentation of specific demands.
“In the coming days, we will receive all requests for aid. Two states have already sent them, and we are evaluating and authorizing them in a summary manner. As you have already seen, the first credit has already been published, of which others will be published, in the amount of R$514 million. As the BNDES also said, [Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social]by next week, it has been authorized and released a little over R$400 million to support the fire departments of these states in the Legal Amazon, for the purchase of materials, equipment, vehicles, which together already amounts to close to R$1 billion. And other credits will be published as the governors present and materialize their demands”, said the minister.
Also present at the meeting were the vice-governors Sérgio Gonçalves da Silva (Rondônia) and Antônio Pinheiro Teles Júnior (Amapá).
In addition to Rui Costa, the government was represented at the meeting by ministers Marina Silva (Environment), Ricardo Lewandowski (Justice and Public Security), Simone Tebet (Planning), Alexandre Padilha (Institutional Relations) and Waldez Góes (Regional Development). President Lula attended an event in Maranhão, where he signed conciliation agreement with the quilombola communities of the municipality of Alcântara.
Criticism
Commenting on the federal action, Caiado criticized what he called the delay in the Union’s response. “The federal government was not prepared for what happened. Suddenly, it started procrastinating and now the end is coming.” [da seca]. I mean, mid-October, I believe it will already be raining in November. Some rain has already fallen,” said the governor, who is in opposition to the Lula government.
“What we hope is that the federal government does not call us at the last minute to make a statement of R$500 million. R$13 million has now been authorized for Goiás,” he continued, saying that the economic losses from the fires in the state were estimated at around R$1.5 billion.
The governor of Mato Grosso expressed his gratitude for the release of new funds, but pointed out that the effects should be felt in the next drought, since the rainy season is expected to begin in about a month. “Its concrete and more objective effects will occur in 2025. Everyone in public administration knows that if you release funds today in any state, it will be difficult to buy vehicles, equipment, or aircraft, and have them up and running in 15 days. Even with an emergency regime that speeds up the contracting process, they need to be done with some level of criteria and transparency, following the minimum level of public bureaucracy,” said Mauro Mendes.
In response, Rui Costa said that the most recent resources are a continuation of previous actions, and that the federal government’s planning began well before. “We have been meeting with the states for three months, three months. Some governors did not attend the previous meetings, perhaps that is why they are finding it strange, thinking that this is the first one. No. We have had the committee operating and meeting for three months now,” he replied.
The Minister of the Environment and Climate Change listed the number of firefighters hired by the department to fight fires in the different affected biomes. “There are more than 3,000 people on the fire line throughout the country, concentrated in the Pantanal, the Amazon and now the Cerrado. When you add the Fire Department, in the case of the Amazon, there are more than 4,000 people fighting these fires and with the measure that was now taken by the Supreme Court, it is possible to hire more firefighters because there are no longer any hiring restrictions,” said Marina Silva, referring to a decision by the Supreme Court Justice Flávio Dino, who authorized the Union to issue extraordinary credits outside the fiscal limits to fight the flames.
The governor of Mato Grosso do Sul, Eduardo Riedel, stated that the R$514 million contribution from the federal government will be important to cover immediate expenses with fuel and daily allowances for teams working in the field, but that a larger structure will require new resources. “We have certainly prevented more than one and a half million hectares from being burned in the Pantanal,” the governor stated, regarding the joint action between the state and the federal government.
Restructuring
During the meeting with governors, Rui Costa said that, in the medium term, the federal government, in partnership with state governments, should promote a restructuring of the National Civil Defense teams, state and municipal Civil Defenses, in addition to state firefighters.
“We want to create a new arrangement, involving regional rescue structures, fire support, not only for floods, but for fires, and regional support with greater capillarity and faster action,” said the minister, without going into details.
Another point discussed at the meeting was the need to harsher punishments for those who commit arson in the countrywhich has been pointed out as one of the causes of the explosion of fires in the country this year.
