Bebianno's close friend, lawyer Sergio Bermudes, denies possessing letters with bombshell revelations.
Despite the rumors, the friend says that Gustavo Bebianno never told him that he was "writing any memoir." "He left nothing written and didn't leave any letters with me," he stated. He adds, however, that he cannot guarantee that there wasn't something written in progress.
By Denise Assis, from Journalists for Democracy - The death of former minister Gustavo Bebianno, who held the position of Secretary-General of the Presidency – shortly after the inauguration of President Jair Bolsonaro – in the early hours of March 14th, a date that also marks the death of councilwoman Marielle Franco and her driver Anderson Gomes, caused shock and astonishment. Bebianno, who had been threatening to make compromising revelations about the clan since his break with the President's family, was living under absolute tension. His disappearance on a day that would be marked by demonstrations and remembrances of Marielle, as was to be expected, leads the news media to focus on the event.
The former minister was found dead this morning in Teresópolis, in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro. The information was given by the newspaper O Globo and confirmed by UOL's reporting. Speaking to UOL, the president of the PSDB's Rio de Janeiro branch, Paulo Marinho, said that he fell ill around 4 am today. "Unfortunately, it's true. He fell ill, was taken to the hospital, they tried to resuscitate him, but he didn't survive," he stated by phone...”
At 56 years old, the former minister had been complaining for two weeks of back pain, for which he was only taking painkillers. Close friends also observed that Bebianno was anxious and eating more than usual. This information is denied by lawyer Sergio Bermudes, a friend and godfather to Bebianno's eldest son, João (he also leaves behind a daughter, Maria Amélia), and in whose office he always worked.
“The last time we were together was on Thursday, when he and Paulo Marinho had lunch here at my house. The conversation revolved around his candidacy for mayor of the city he loved so much. He said he was very enthusiastic and was identifying the main problems in Rio so he could dedicate himself to them. He was very enthusiastic. He only talked about the campaign and his desire to present solutions to the electorate. That's what I saw,” Bermudes recounted.
Asked if he had ever heard him complain about his health, he was emphatic: "never, ever, at any time." Regarding theories surrounding his friend's death, he dismissed any doubts about the cause. "The information I received from his son, my godson João, around five in the morning, and shortly after to Paulo Marinho, is that he felt unwell, said he had a severe chest pain, went to the bathroom, fell, was taken to the hospital, had a massive heart attack and died. I am not a doctor and cannot confirm anything, but the information I received was that he had a massive heart attack."
Despite rumors that the former minister had left two letters with bombshell revelations in the hands of his close friend, Bermudes categorically denies this: “He never told me he was writing any memoirs. He was focused on the problems of Rio de Janeiro and their solutions. He left nothing written, nor did he leave any letters with me. And if anything existed, it was in his head.”
Sergio Bermudes, however, clarifies that he cannot guarantee that there wasn't some writing in progress. "I can't guarantee it. What I can say is that he never told me he was writing." Regarding the information that Bebianno had reached a verbal agreement with the editor Jorge Carneiro, of Ediouro, for a "devastating" memoir, Bermudes also says he doesn't know. "He didn't comment on any of this."
The lawyer also denies that the former minister was overeating. "No, no, no. He always had a good appetite, but he didn't eat excessively. He didn't drink and he didn't eat cheese. He didn't like it."
Sergio Bermudes reveals that throughout Jair Bolsonaro's campaign, coordinated by Bebianno, the two were "estranged." The reason: "I advised him against campaigning for Bolsonaro because I thought Bolsonaro had no ideas, and that's why he distanced himself from me. He only contacted me once to arrange a visit for Bolsonaro and himself to the Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro (D. Orani Tempesta), fulfilling a campaign agenda."
Asked to speak about his friend, Bermudes defined him: “He was a noble man, he faced with gallantry and humility the injustice of which he was a victim, when Bolsonaro ungratefully removed him from the ministry to satisfy the whim of his son Carlos, but he told me: 'I don't feel anger towards Jair. I feel pity for the weakness he demonstrated. A weakness he didn't reveal during the campaign.'”
Regarding his friend's daily life and habits, he said that Bebianno enjoyed wrestling and that type of sport. "It even seems like he practiced it. I never focused on talking to him about that aspect. We basically talked about politics. He was very enthusiastic about his candidacy for mayor of Rio," he reiterated. As for the overall national situation, he added: "what we talked about were his apprehensions about the general situation in the country."