The Centrão da Câmara abandoned its attempt to revoke the mandate of Glauber Braga (PSOL-RJ) after realizing that it would not have enough votes to defeat the parliamentarian in plenary.
While the debate on the subject was already underway on Wednesday evening, the group’s parliamentarians had to recalculate the path to follow to avoid a defeat for President Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB) and create an “honorable exit” from the imbroglio, with a milder sanction: a six-month suspension from his functions.
The move came amid fears among Motta’s allies that the vote would generate more noise in the parliamentarian’s image, a day after he was criticized for his conduct in the House.
In the first important vote of the evening, deputies approved with a close score – 226 votes for and 220 against – the transmission of an alternative report accompanied by a six-month sentence, the merits of which would then be evaluated.
The result of this vote served as a warning: it would not be possible to obtain 257 votes to impeach Braga, and so it was decided to vote in favor of suspension.
This Wednesday’s session was marked by a silent operation to avoid the worst. Hugo Motta, president of the Chamber, agreed behind the scenes that suspension – not acquittal or dismissal – would be the “possible institutional solution”. The shared assessment was that the suspension would preserve the Council’s authority after the presidency episode and reduce the political cost.
In addition, the leaders said that this seam was sensitive, because it could generate noise with Arthur Lira (PP-AL), former President of the House. Braga is Lira’s enemy.
The fact that the House traditionally resurrects the corporatist sentiment of members during votes like this also weighed on the decision.
Convinced that it was possible to reverse the situation, government leaders and PSOL members began to recalibrate votes, attempting to reverse an initial trend toward revocation and consolidate support for suspension.
Alencar Santana (PT-SP) and Tarcísio Motta (PSOL-RJ) circulated in private conversations claiming that a temporary expulsion would be proportional to the episode and would avoid a definitive sanction. According to certain reports, Minister Gleisi Hoffmann (Secretariat for Institutional Relations) also contacted parliamentarians to try to find common ground.
The presence of PSOL leaders reinforced the mobilization. The president of the party, Paula Coradi, and Minister Guilherme Boulos (General Secretariat of the Presidency) participated in part of the session. The minister’s visit had symbolic weight: Boulos and Glauber, who belong to different wings and have accumulated public friction in recent years, attempted a gesture of recomposition at a critical moment for their co-religionist.
Strolling through the plenary, Boulos greeted former parliamentary colleagues and greeted Marcos Pereira (Republicans) with a hug.
Glauber Braga, in turn, adopted an expansive stance. After the defense speech, he strolled through the plenary, greeted parliamentarians and posed for photos – a contrast to the atmosphere of the trial. The number of times his colleagues got his name wrong on the microphone also attracted attention: at least 15 recordings of “Glauber Rocha,” an unintentional reference to the filmmaker who became a joke in the corridors.
Behind the scenes also gave rise to improbable dialogues. Before the plenary took up the Zambelli case, the congressman’s son spoke with Captain Alden (PL-BA), who said he would vote “against both impeachments, his and his mother’s.” The young man replied: “It’s true, it’s unfair,” sparking laughter from those who heard him.
On the government side, the impression was that it was possible to recover votes. Lawmakers suggested their colleagues not record a vote — which would benefit Glauber — and tried to gain support in benches where there was no consensus on impeachment. Hildo Rocha (MDB-MA) spoke out against the loss of his mandate and was applauded by the left, while part of the opposition began to consider abstention, a move which, in practice, would help the psoloist.
Confusion and accusations raise the tone during the vote
The atmosphere heated up when Zé Trovão (PL-SC) took the stand to accuse the government of having “activated MPs” to free Glauber from impeachment, suggesting proposing amendments – without presenting names or details. The speech sparked an immediate reaction.
Hildo Rocha (MDB-MA) asked the Bolsonarista to reveal who had been contacted by the Secretary of Federal Affairs, André Ceciliano:
— I want him to name the deputies to whom André Ceciliano asked to offer money so as not to dismiss Glauber Braga. I want him to retract, otherwise we will go to the Ethics Council – he said.
Rocha also insinuated that there would be corruption in the Bolsonarista wing, which brought Carlos Jordy (PL-RJ) to the microphone:
— He said that the PL has many corrupt people. I would like him to name who these corrupt people are, he declared to applause from the bench.
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