The government considered impeaching Itamar Franco in the Lilian Ramos case.

247 – In 1994, Itamar Franco's power was threatened after he appeared alongside model Lilian Ramos without underwear at the Sambadrome. The government's intelligence community considered reporting him, according to secret documents made public this Monday. Read more in the Globo article:

BRASILIA - Reports from the former Secretariat of Strategic Affairs (SAE) — released this Monday for research at the National Archives — show that the government's intelligence community even considered the resignation of then-President Itamar Franco shortly after the episode in which he was photographed next to a model who was not wearing underwear. Itamar and Lilian Ramos were side-by-side at the Rio Sambadrome during Carnival in 1994.

The documents discuss the negative repercussions of the episode, classified as a "scandal," and one of them even mentions the possibility of the president resigning from office. "Speculations about the alleged intention of presidential resignation, perspectives and its short-term implications," reads the title of the document produced in 1994. The summary of the report states that the possibility was considered "as a result of the scandal that occurred at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro during Carnival." The text highlights that a possible resignation would have negative consequences for the economic plan and for constitutional review.

Another report on the same subject, dated February 16, states that, based on media coverage, "the episode had a negative impact, affecting the credibility of the head of the Executive branch in various sectors of society." Itamar appears, in previous documents, as a concern for then-President Fernando Collor de Mello, whose vice-president he was. His "rapprochement with the left" during the crisis involving Collor that led to his impeachment is mentioned. "The opposition parties support Vice-President Itamar Franco, initiating discussions about the transition."

The documents also show that government intelligence services were following with concern the risk of an invasion of the Córrego da Ponte farm, owned by then-President Fernando Henrique Cardoso (PSDB), in Buritis (MG). The landless occupied the property in March 2002, but intelligence agencies had been warning of this risk since 1997. Even so, the occupation was not prevented.

The SAE, formerly the National Information Service (SNI), linked actions by the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST) to Lula's candidacy for President of the Republic in 1998. In a report from September of that year, the intelligence agencies believed that the possible invasion could benefit Lula, who lost the election to Fernando Henrique Cardoso that year.

"Since July 1998, there have been indications that the MST (Landless Workers' Movement) plans to invade President Fernando Henrique Cardoso's farm. Leaders of the movement's national coordination are trying to obtain data about the property that could help Lula's electoral campaign," says the document, which continues: "The probability of an invasion of the farm is increasing, as it will serve to divert attention from irregularities denounced by the press involving Lula and would be a form of retaliation for the disclosure that José Rainha Jr. had been co-opted by the federal government," the document concludes.

The MST was closely monitored by intelligence agents. In 1990, a report titled "Infiltration of communist organizations in the MST, activities of the PCdoB in the countryside" mentioned the Marxist character of the movement and the existence of "MST elements with records of participation in courses in Cuba." Another report highlighted that "the MST has been improving its training and expanding its activities, aiming at the creation of a revolutionary movement." In the same year, the agents produced a report entitled "Structure and activities of the MST in the periphery of São Paulo."