A year of the election, governments (Republicans) and (PT) trade behind the scenes and return to play protagonism in an episode of political visibility. This time, with the methanol crisis, in which the intoxication by the substance
Lula management announced the opening of an inquiry in to investigate the supposed participation of organized crime in the adulteration of beverage. Shortly thereafter, Tarcisio management conducted a press conference in which it denied involvement of criminal organizations in the case.
Lula has already announced that he was interested in competing for his fourth term, while Tarcisio is quoted to run for presidency in 2026 with support from ().
Resather, federal government officials complain about the lack of alignment with state management and the São Paulo City Hall, from (), regarding measures that need to be taken from now on, such as future inspections and prevention of new cases.
It is also said that there was a precipitation in saying that there is no involvement of organized crime and justified the federal entrance due to the confirmation of suspicious deaths in other states.
Members of the Tarcisio Government, on the other hand, criticize Lula management by mentioning that the inspection of the beverage filling is from the Ministry of Agriculture. The federal, in turn, says that the inspection of commercialization is up to the state government.
The methanol crisis began to gain breath over the weekend and, on Monday (29), the governor of São Paulo was the subject of criticism of the opposition because he was in Brasilia,
On the morning of Wednesday, he was expected at a housing delivery event in the East Zone, but then, in the midst of the crisis, he canceled his participation.
On the part of the Tarcisio government, the complaint is that there would be no reason for the PF to be in the case, which would already be in calculation by the state government.
Interlocutors of the governor also say that in all episodes of national repercussion, the petista administration seeks to enter to have protagonism, as in former delegate Ruy Ferraz, specializing in the criminal organization of (first command of the capital).
The PF investigates when there is evidence that the crime was interstate. In the methanol episode, there are other suspicious cases, such as deaths in Pernambuco.
The minister said on Tuesday (30) that “it seems, [a rede de distribuição] transcends the limits of a single state. “
PF director Andrei Rodrigues, in turn, stated that the agency will investigate the case by the São Paulo Superintendence and that the answers will come in “a short time.” He also stated that this work will be done along with other bodies, such as São Paulo.
He justified the PF’s performance in case that it is possible to connects with recent investigations of the agency in São Paulo and Paraná on the fuel chain, as part of the importation of methanol passes through the port of Paranaguá. It will still be investigated, according to the director, the relationship with this with organized crime.
In Sao Paulo, the main thesis today is that methanol was used to wash the packaging, not mixed with the falsified drink. And that there would be no evidence of the CCP link with this episode.
“Everything that happens now in Sao Paulo is PCC. There is no evidence of organized crime participation in this,” said Tarcisio on Tuesday.
He told the interlocutors that he was reluctant to classify the case of methanol as “organized crime” because the investigations did not point to the involvement of a structured gang, with national acting and financial support.
The assessment he shares is that clashes should continue as the election year approaches.
The management of this crisis and, especially, the criminal investigation is relevant to both Lula and Tarcisio from an electoral point of view. The cases took national proportion, generating fear in the population.
Despite the dispute in charge of the investigation and the exchange of barbs behind the scenes, technical teams of the federal and state executive executives have been gathering since Friday (27), when the first alerts of atypical poisoning episodes have emerged, to exchange information about concrete cases and how to deal with them.
Earlier this week, for example, Senacon (National Consumer Secretariat), alerted the country’s procons, with guidelines for suppliers and consumers about the safety of marketing and consumption of beverage.
The Brazilian Association to Combat Falsification issued a note on Sunday (28) in which he says that after adulterated alcohol consumption may be linked to CCP activities.
Prosecutor Yuri Fisberg of Sao Paulo said it was early to state that the methanol used to baptize alcoholic beverages can be the same illegally imported by criminal factions for adulting fuels.
In August, the Federal Police and the Public Prosecution Service did simultaneous operations against the performance of organized crime, such as the CCP, in the fuel production chain and in the financial sector.
At the time, the two agencies marked collective interviews for the same time on the subject, about organized crime in the country.
