Inauguration of the Rodoanel Norte becomes the stage for a clash between Tarcísio and Mercadante
The delivery event for the first section of the Rodoanel Norte, this Monday (22), publicly exposed the tension between the São Paulo government and the federal government.
In consecutive speeches, governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans) and the president of BNDES, Aloizio Mercadante, exchanged hints about financing the work and conducting large infrastructure projects.
Mercadante complained about the lack of mention of the bank in the official ceremony. According to him, BNDES accounted for around a third of the investment in the opened section, around R$1.3 billion.
For the director, recognizing the role of the bank is essential to maintain future partnerships between the Union and states. Without directly citing the governor, he stated that it is necessary to “recover a republican relationship” between the federative entities and highlighted that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) works in cooperation with governors regardless of political alignment.
Lula may veto PL that reduces Bolsonaro’s sentence on January 8, says PT leader
Lindbergh Farias (PT-RJ) defends that government supporters mobilize in the streets from January against the project, which could have its future veto overturned
Bolsonaro completes 1 month in prison in the PF under dispute over housing and surgery
Former president is serving his sentence in Brasília, has a restricted routine, receives controlled visits and awaits definition on elective procedure while defense insists on humanitarian detention
When speaking afterwards, Tarcísio avoided direct confrontation, but made a point of saying that the BNDES was “fundamental” for the progress of the work as it had a qualified technical team. He then attributed the project’s delays to corruption scandals investigated in the past, in reference to Operation Lava Jato.
The climate of dispute also appeared when Mercadante mentioned federal investments in the modernization of the Presidente Dutra Highway, without mentioning that the concession was structured when Tarcísio commanded the Ministry of Infrastructure in the Bolsonaro government. The governor then recalled his participation in the process, which provoked reactions from the audience.
In front of the workers present, Mercadante used the platform to list the federal government’s economic indicators, such as low unemployment, an increase in the minimum wage and an improvement in average income. He said that the numbers speak for themselves and that “fighting with the facts doesn’t solve it”.
Tarcísio, in turn, promised job creation and cited other projects underway in the state, such as lines 6-Orange and 17-Gold of the São Paulo subway.
Like Rodoanel Norte, these works have not yet been completed, but the governor classified them as examples of challenges that the state intends to deliver in the coming years.
