“He has no condition whatsoever to sign any memorandum”, says the former PT treasurer when criticizing the former governor of Goiás
Former PT treasurer, Delúbio Soares, criticized the former governor of Goiás, (PSD) for issuing a memorandum with the United States on rare earths, in March 2026. In an interview published on Sunday (June 21, 2026), by Poder360said that Caiado does not have the power to close an agreement along these lines.
“Did you believe that memo, that it was a real memo? This is a parrot from the governor. He was a federal deputy several times. He was a senator, he was a governor and he knows that, regarding the Brazilian subsoil, the Constitution says that it is the responsibility of the Union. He is in no condition to sign any memorandum and the Americans know that”declared.
Goiás has the only active rare earth mining operation in Brazilian territory, located in Minaçu, and the only company that produces minerals in operation in the country, . On April 20, the North American company announced the construction of the only rare earth mine in Brazil for US$2.8 billion (approximately R$14 billion at the exchange rate at the time).
Delúbio stated that the attitude was “a gesture of propaganda” de Caiado related to his pre-candidacy for the Presidency. The former PT leader said that the document “it’s worth nothing” e “does not have the slightest legal support”. Here is what he declared:
“I was there in Serra Verde, at the mine, and everyone knows that it was a propaganda gesture to facilitate the pre-candidacy of former governor Ronaldo Caiado for the Presidency. Under Brazilian legislation, this document is worthless, it is a null document. It has no legal support whatsoever. The most conservative people think that by speaking, it becomes law. Aren’t there those who made that mess on January 8th, thinking they were right? ‘We did this to save Brazil’. Save Brazil from what? The people made a decision.”
O Poder360 contacted Ronaldo Caiado’s advisors to find out if there was interest in commenting on the statementss, but received no response until the publication of this report. This text will be updated as soon as any comments are received
MENSALÃO AND LAVA JATO
Delúbio Soares seeks to return to the political scene after being convicted in Mensalão – a scheme involving bribes to congressmen in exchange for political support – and in the Lava Jato operation, which investigated the embezzlement of resources, charging bribes to construction companies and overbilling, with Petrobras at the center of the scandal.
The 2 cases broke out in the governments of , in 2005, and , in 2014 – both from the PT. Delúbio was arrested. Other party colleagues, such as former minister José Dirceu, also served time.
The Mensalão process was reported by the then STF minister, Joaquim Barbosa, who retired in 2014. The former PT leader has not yet digested the judge’s actions, whom he called “disqualified”.
In the interview, he stated that he is innocent and that he will request a criminal review. “I left a document with my granddaughter so that, if I die and don’t ask for it, she can ask for a criminal review of the Mensalão”these.
