The leader of the PL in the House, Deputy Cavalcanteis ahead of the joints to vote the Bill (PL) of amnesty those involved in the scammer acts of January 8, 2023. The federal deputy of Rio de Janeiro managed, within a few days, to gather 264 signatures to urgent the proposal. Which means that the project can be taken to direct vote on the house plenary without having to go through commissions.
According to Cavalcante, “Amnesty is for those who are already condemned.” But the deputy acknowledges that, later, lawyers of defendants who may be convicted can appeal to jurisprudence and that this could include the case of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is affiliated with the PL.
“The (former) President Bolsonaro, like every citizen, has his legal rights guaranteed in the light of Brazilian law. If his lawyer understands that he has protection to make this request due to an amnesty vote, it is his right.”
Cavalcante criticizes the Supreme Court and believes that only Congress can do justice to those involved in the acts of 8 January. The case is judged by the authorities as an attempted coup d’état that would prevent the exercise of power by President -elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT) and would favor Bolsonaro, who lost at the polls in 2022.
The PL leader defends Bolsonaro’s name as the leading leader to run for presidential elections of 2026 and believes that convictions in the Superior Electoral Court may still be reversed. However, he cites two other candidates who consider strong in the right field: former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro (PL) and the governor of São Paulo Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans).
Check out the interview of Deputy Sostenes Cavalcante to Infomoney:
Infoomoney – The Lord got the signs of the Amnesty PL, has already protocol. What do you expect to happen this week?
SOSTENES CAVALCANTE-I hope that the president (of the House) Hugo Motta (Republicans-PB) will fulfill the PL, which was the first to support him, as he has been fulfilling with the government and other parties, and that puts the Amnesty PL on the leader’s meeting agenda on Thursday (22). And that he can appoint the rapporteur; If you will keep Deputy Rodrigo Valadares (Union) or will replace with another name, so that we can start discussing the text and already take it straight to the plenary.
IM – There are hundreds of projects with urgent request in the house. Why should this be a priority?
SC – Two weeks ago, he (mayor Hugo Motta) attended four emergencies of the judiciary. Before Carnival, he answered the project to create Axé Music Day to please the left bench. Now, if there are exceptions to the left, if there are exceptions to the judiciary, why will there be no party in the house?
IM – Is this the only agenda that PL will take to the Leaders College meeting this week?
SC – We have a single agenda at leaders meetings that is amnesty. I got the 264 signatures. And until she is on the agenda, we have no vote.
IM – Amnesty PL has resonance, has support from other parties?
SC – The urgent request is already proof of resonance. No one has signed a request that does not support. When people see the text we will propose to the rapporteur, this resonance will increase and we will reach 310 votes. The answer will be very strong.
IM – What amnesty project do you intend to lead to the vote, since there are several in process?
SC – The project has a number of other attached projects, a number of other projects in one. We took Major Vitor Hugo’s project, who is a monster, with all the attached. Therefore, it will have to be a substitute, presented by the rapporteur, compact, objective, in what we want, which is to amnesty these people from January 8, wronged with penalties above penalties of traffickers, rapists, etc. And, in this substitute, it is responsible for those who depreciated public assets.
IM – The idea is to close the scope on January 8 and the people who were present in the acts?
SC – The text suggestion that the PL is studying to present, as soon as the rapporteur is appointed, will be in this scope.
IM-Is there an idea of expanding the project to favor former President Jair Bolsonaro?
SC – First, I don’t discuss people. None of the projects, neither the tied, nor the substitute future, comes to discuss people. Just talk about amnesty. Now, if this will benefit President Bolsonaro, A, B or C, there is an individual legal issue of each person.
IM – Does the project determine that it will only amnesty who practiced certain crimes?
SC- No, amnesty is for the acts of January 8, in my assessment. I will not enter the STF narrative. Because those who executed was not here, who funded no one knows, I will not get into the merits of the narratives. I’m working on amnesty. Who is this going to amnesty? I’m not worried about it. I want to practice justice to those who are being wronged, people who went to manifest. If some of them have evidence of images that have deprecated public and historical heritage, they have to respond for the depredation of public and historical heritage.
IM – Is this an amnesty that only serves back, for those who have already been convicted, or can there be an amnesty forward?
SC – Amnesty is for those who are condemned. Forwards, those who are convicted of this same crime, it is up to this defendant’s lawyers to use jurisprudence or not. This is a legal, non -legislative issue. I’m not a defendant lawyer, I’m doing an analysis of what I think can happen. I just want, as a legislator, to produce justice, because the STF practiced injustice.
IM-This is exactly where former President Bolsonaro could benefit, as his lawyer could take action at the Supreme Court based on this law.
SC – President Bolsonaro as every citizen has his legal rights guaranteed in the light of Brazilian law. If his lawyer understands that he has protection to make this request due to an amnesty vote, it is his right. Thus, as it is his lawyer to request a lock of the criminal action if the appeal we submit to Deputy Ramagem, who had his parliamentary right violated.
IM – This week the judgment of the second core of January 8 begins. What can you expect? Do you believe that all criminal actions will be accepted?
SC – An STF that condemns Deborah (Rodrigues da Silva) to 14 years old, because he wrote “Lost Mané” with a lipstick (in the statue statue ‘The Justice’, which is in front of the court), is an STF that was contaminated by politics. I don’t have much to wait.
IM – That’s why the Lord insists on the amnesty law?
SC – No, the concern with the vote on the amnesty law is to do justice to the wronged people. It is not possible for a human being to not be outraged to see people arrested for more than 2 years, preventively, some without res judicata. When the trial comes with scary feathers, as we are seeing. And many of them are family mothers as is the case of Deborah. Then you make a parallel and see condemned for corruption, which also had their condemned wives and were released in less than 1 month to take care of their children. When he is a patriot, who participated in a demonstration, did not depreciate heritage, only wrote with lipstick in a statue, take 14 years. Stay 2 years and 3 months in closed regime. This is injustice and it is for these people that we want to vote amnesty. If others can benefit from this, then our legislative responsibility is already a legal issue. I don’t expect the Supreme Court very much about doing justice for these people, only Congress can do.
IM – How long do you argue to keep Bolsonaro’s name to the presidency in 2026, even with ineligibility?
SC – President Bolsonaro has to define this, because he who has political capital. Bolsonaro is having a judgment without any double degree of jurisdiction, being tried by his declared tormentors (in the STF). We expect him to even review the ineligibilities that so far are on the TSE. The TSE changes its composition in July next year, and I think there we have to reverse the ineligibility.
IM – Would you support maintain a Bolsonaro candidacy if he was arrested?
SC- First I am convinced that he will not be arrested. I believe that STF and the left do not have the courage to arrest it because they would turn it into the greatest hero of national politics. It is one thing to arrest politician with a certain electoral density like Lula, convicted in the three instances, all as the proceedings are due. Another thing is what they are doing with President Bolsonaro. The political persecution is clear. They have not done so far because they are sure of the damage it can turn. And they will not do until next year. I don’t think he will be stuck, but even arrested he would become a political giant.
IM – Is Bolsonaro still the strongest candidate to defeat President Lula at the polls?
SC – Yes, but I recognize that we have two other good names that are as competitive as, when I see the research. That would be Michelle Bolsonaro, strong in the female and evangelical electorate, and the governor (from São Paulo) Tarcisio (from Freitas), for being governor of a large state. For me, here would be in these three figures the possibilities, always saying that who defines this is President Bolsonaro
IM – Has the defense of amnesty and Bolsonaro became a unique PL agenda?
SC – Bolsonaro’s defense is always PL’s agenda, was our presidential candidate, is our president emeritus and we will always make a defense of him and all our party. It is our priority, but unlike the left he is not the only leader on the right. We even have right -wing leaders in other parties who also have a wingspan, but we have the vanity to say that Bolsonaro is creating generations of political leaders. So he’s not our unique agenda. He and the formation of new paintings are the party’s priority guidelines. Regarding amnesty, amnesty yes is the unique agenda of the PL until it is based. We need the plenary to deliberate on matter, the plenary is sovereign. When there is an injustice practiced by the Supreme Court, we have a single instrument to correct this, the National Congress. We cannot steal. The plenary has to decide if it amnesty or not amnesty.
IM – If the amnesty bill is approved in the House, should the Senate approve too or there will be greater resistance?
SC-I have been talking to leader Rogério Marinho (PL-RN) and Leader Portinho (PL-RJ) and, on the day of the National Congress session, I had a conversation of hearing with Senate President David Alcolumbre (Union-AP). He asked me if I think he approves. I replied that I approve with more than 300 votes in the House. So he said that with this intensity it does not hold the bomb on his lap for more than a week. I think President Alcolumbre politically will not stretch this rope for long. From what I’ve been talking to leaders, they say they already have a majority in the Senate to approve the amnesty.
