The resulting tragedy The storms in Rio Grande do Sul triggered a wave of solidarity in Brazil, but also exposed non-transparent interests involved in donations to help the victims. While hundreds of thousands of people face forced displacement and entire cities suffer from floods, the far right reveals its priority: politicizing the suffering of the people of Rio Grande do Sul.
One of the exponents of the crusade is federal deputy Lieutenant-Colonel Zucco, from PL, a Bolsonaro candidate for Mayor of Porto Alegre, who has been calling for donations to various organizations since the beginning of the crisis. One of them is the Instituto Cultural Floresta, an NGO led by Cláudio Goldsztein, businessman who owns Cyrela Goldsztein, the Rio Grande do Sul arm of Cyrela, one of the largest civil construction companies in the country.
The donation recommendation could even be a gesture of solidarity, to be carried out through the NGO’s social actions, if it weren’t for the fact that at least part of the funds were directed towards the purchase of 100 Starlink antennas, an internet service via satellite offered by tycoon Elon Musk’s company.
The purchase of routers was made without any guidance from the public authorities to do so. The state’s top priority at the moment is an item much more basic than a Starlink device: drinking water.
On Monday afternoon, the https://twitter.com/InstCulFloresta/status/1787551424877928797?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet which mocks the true volunteers who have been sleepless for days fighting for the survival of the people of Rio Grande do Sul: “Thank you, @ElonMusk”, wrote the NGO. The caption itself, however, says that it was the Instituto Cultural Floresta that acquired the devices. You didn’t read it wrong. The NGO bought the routers and, even so, decided to drool over the billionaire on social media.
In previous days, several of the donation requests made by the institute did not mention the purchase of the devices. “Our objective is to allocate necessary items to assist in rescues, in addition to purchasing and distributing basic food baskets and hygiene kits. Make your donation”, wrote the Instituto Cultural Floresta, in its last PIX request before announcing the purchase of the routers.
Even so, the Instituto Cultural Floresta post has been celebrated on social media. The support comes from Bolsonaro militants, but it gains strength, probably, because fake news is circulating on social media saying that Starlink would be the only one in operation to assist in rescues in Rio Grande do Sul. A check by Agência Lupa this Monday exposed this lie.
In a statement, Conexis Brasil Digital — a union that brings together telecommunications and connectivity companies in Brazil — reported that the main fixed and mobile internet operators associated with the institution maintain active networks in most of the state.
Furthermore, Brazilian operators Tim, Vivo and Claro opened their telephone networks in the state so that people can temporarily access the available networks of the other two for free. The measure is valid for all active customers, with pre- or post-paid accounts.
Business group impacted urban planning in Porto Alegre
Goldsztein Cyrela, of which Goldsztein is a central figure, is one of the largest construction companies in Rio Grande do Sul, with a history of large-scale real estate projects in the region. The businessman is known for his large donations to politicians, such as those made to the current mayor of Porto Alegre, Sebastião Melo, from MDB. With R$200,000 in resources, members of Goldsztein Cyrela were Melo’s main financiers.
In November last year, the Rio Grande do Sul website Sul21 published an extensive investigation into how a restricted group of businessmen, including Goldsztein, achieved a series of victories with Porto Alegre City Hall that would have impacted the urban planning of the capital of Rio Grande do Sul. The report explains how the company was part of a task force that would have been fundamental in overturning environmental laws, circumventing the Master Plan and manipulating public opinion in the city.
But businesspeople from Rio Grande do Sul are not the only ones taking advantage of the tragedy, to which they contributed by daily denying climate change, to engage in politics. MBL did similar. On social media, federal deputy Kim Kataguiri, from União Brasil, https://twitter.com/alor3n4/status/1787569214720762105 on Monday afternoon. “All subscriptions to the MBL Club today will be donated to Rio Grande do Sul.” The negative repercussion made him quickly delete the post.
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The person who also deleted the PIX scam post was Zucco. In addition to the NGO that spent the money on antennas, he recommended donations to the Instituto Harpia Brasil, in Goiás. The president of the NGO is former federal deputy Major Vitor Hugo, from PL. And the honorary president? Himself: Jair Messias Bolsonaro.
So far, the crisis triggered by storms in Rio Grande do Sul has revealed not only the magnitude of the damage caused by climate denialism, but also the innards of a structure where business interests prevail over the well-being of the population. As victims cry out for help, the powerful seize the opportunity to reinforce their personal and political agendas.
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