The chief minister of the Presidency’s Social Communication Secretariat (Secom), Paulo Pimenta, called this Tuesday (7) for the opening of an investigation into digital influencers and social media accounts on the internet that have been disseminating false information about the rescue work of people and on the recovery of the damage caused by the floods in Rio Grande do Sul. In a letter sent to Minister Ricardo Lewandowski, of Justice and Public Security, Pimenta cites “misinformative and criminal narratives” that have an impact on the deepening of the social crisis experienced by the population gaucho.
Read the letter:
“The content states that the Federal Government would not be helping the population, that the FAB [Força Aérea Brasileira] would not have agility and that the Army and PRF [Polícia Rodoviária Federal] they would be blocking aid trucks. I highlight with concern the impact of these narratives on the credibility of institutions such as the Army, FAB, PRF and ministries, which are crucial in responding to emergencies. The spread of falsehoods can diminish the population’s confidence in the State’s response capabilities, hampering evacuation and rescue efforts at critical times. It is essential that actions are taken to protect the integrity and effectiveness of our institutions in the face of such crises”, says the letter.
The document lists a series of posts that went viral on social media. Among them, a video published last Sunday (5), on platform video, they say that “the State Treasury Department is blocking donation trucks”, “they are not allowing food and lunch boxes to be distributed” and that “this is a political year, the media will not show what is happening properly, understand? Because of the politicians.” The information has already been denied by the authorities.
The same false news was shared by senator Cleitinho Azevedo (Republicanos-MG), on platforms such as Instagram and X. Other posts involving federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL-SP), journalist Thiago Asmar, influencer Leandro Ruschel, influencer Fernanda Salles, in addition to accounts such as Pavão Misterious and Tumulto BR, are described in the letter sent by Paulo Pimenta. The minister calls for the investigation of illegal acts or possible crimes related to the dissemination of misinformation, as well as the individualization of the conduct of the people involved.
Earlier, at Palácio do Planalto, Paulo Pimenta expressed indignation at the impact of fake news on the rescue work carried out in Rio Grande Sul.
“I think it’s a joke. There are people working 24 hours a day, four days without sleeping, people putting their lives at risk to save others. Meanwhile, there is an industry of fake news fed by parliamentarians, by influencersby people who are dedicated to hindering the effort being made to save lives”, he stated. Pimenta classified the situation as a war to find people who are still stranded and called the spreaders of fake news traitors.
“If it is true that we are in a war, whose main objective is to find people who are still stranded and have the strength to support thousands of people who have lost everything, who are in shelters, whoever acts against us must be treated as a fifth column, word that we use against traitors in times of war. And the fifth column must be treated as criminals”, he stated in an interview with journalists this afternoon.
Security shipping
Paulo Pimenta also spoke about the occurrence of looting and crimes, including in public shelters, in addition to robberies and thefts of boats and jet skis, which are being used in the rescue. According to the minister, the federal government should send more agents from the National Security Force to support policing in the state, a demand from mayors, especially in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre. The government of Rio Grande do Sul requested the sending of at least 400 members of the National Force in the coming days.
In total, almost 50,000 people are housed in hundreds of shelters across the state. Many of the shelters are without water for personal hygiene and require at least 150,000 meals a day, the minister said. “The shelters will remain [por um longo tempo]. This work will not stop today”, observed Paulo Pimenta. Also according to the minister, citing the 1941 floods, the Guaíba River could take two to three months to fall below the flooding level, which is 3 meters. Data released today by the Integrated Service Coordination Center shows that the current height of Guaíba is 5.26 meters.
