On Thursday (18), the Federal Police arrested Adroaldo da Cunha Portal, executive secretary of Social Security, the second most important name in the department. Portal is suspected of having received bribes in order to facilitate the theft of social security benefits, diverted under the pretext of contributions to associations and unions.
The billion-dollar project was unveiled in April by Operação Sem Desconto. Portal was promoted in May by Minister Wolney Queiroz (PDT), who replaced his co-religionist Carlos Lupi, affected by the scandal.
The now former executive secretary has held the position of secretary of the General Pension Scheme since 2023. Before that, he was advisor to another member of the PED, Senator Weverton Rocha (MA), also targeted by investigations for fraud at the National Institute of Social Security (INSS).
The government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) returns to the center of the situation because it did not take care to renew the administration of a service that is, to say the least, inoperative and encrusted with corruption, if the suspicions of the PF are confirmed.
It is unclear whether Portal is personally culpable, which is up to the courts, but the omission and negligence in management is evident. It should be noted that the payment of social security benefits amounts to approximately BRL 1 trillion per year, equivalent to 43% of non-financial federal expenditures.
The number of applications for social benefits awaiting a solution reached 2.862 million in October, a stock up 49% in one year. Nothing relevant has been done to reform a decrepit structure, with problems with the INSS, Dataprev and medical expertise.
With strict and timely measures to address this situation, the government could have also seen money theft from pensioners and pensioners.
But nothing was done, despite warnings from federal prosecutors, the Federal Comptroller General and the Federal Court of Auditors, as well as complaints from beneficiaries and journalistic reports.
It is claimed that this project would have started under other presidents of the Republic, which is true. But such an excuse only reveals the inertia of the current administration, during which the amounts have skyrocketed.
When the embezzlement became a public police matter, the government hesitated to fire Lupi. In doing so, he appointed to this post an ally and number two of the deposed minister, Queiroz.
The president of the INSS with Lupi, Alessandro Stefanutto, was dismissed in April, among other things at the head of the ministry, and arrested in November. However, members of the same PDT political group continued to hold positions and exercise influence within the department.
For Lula, who even suffers from the embarrassment of having a son mentioned in a message investigated by the federal police, there is no other correct outcome than to promote a complete restructuring of the sector. If so, it will cause a huge delay.
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