Crivella cut funding for flood control.

Still under the impact of the tragedy that victimized Rio de Janeiro, with at least six dead in the flooded city until Thursday night (7), the website of Veja magazine posted a survey that could further tarnish the image of the already hated mayor Marcelo Crivella (PRB) – the famous relative of pastor Edir Macedo, owner of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God and Record. 

According to the report, “between 2014 and 2018, there was a 78% drop in the amount paid by the municipality for the 'flood control' program. In 2014, during the term of former mayor Eduardo Paes (at the time in the MDB party), Rio spent R$ 294,7 million on the program. The amount fell in subsequent years, reaching only R$ 14,5 million in 2017, at the beginning of Marcelo Crivella's administration.” 

These data indicate that the tragedy could have been avoided – or at least minimized. “Last year, the municipality spent only 57,3% of what the budget allocated for flood control: a total of R$ 66,2 million was used to try to prevent the recurring problem. This is 78% less than the amount spent in 2014. Slope protection could also have been the target of greater government efforts. Only 13,3% of the R$ 264,9 million authorized by the budget was spent: approximately R$ 35,4 million, less than the R$ 36,1 million spent in 2014.” 

Along the same lines, Folha de S.Paulo mocked the demagoguery of the pastor-mayor. “On Wednesday night, a storm killed six people and left Rio awoke to a chaotic scene, with landslides, flooded streets, fallen trees, and blocked roads. After the tragedy, Marcelo Crivella, who took office as mayor in January 2017, expressed dismay at the deaths and decreed three days of official mourning. However, data from the Rio de Janeiro City Hall's Transparency Portal shows that since taking command of the capital of Rio de Janeiro, Crivella has spent far less than projected to deal with the effects of the traditional summer rains that hit the city at the beginning of the year.” 

The newspaper also recalls that “in February 2018, city councilors in Rio de Janeiro were already warning about the risks of cutting funds allocated to combating floods. That month, four people died as a result of the severe storm that hit the city. Even so, Marcelo Crivella cut 90% of the budget allocated to flood control measures.”