Temer blocks Dilma's trips, who protests.
Contrary to what the Senate established when defining Dilma Rousseff's rights during her suspension from office, the Civil House of Michel Temer's interim government restricted the president's travel on Brazilian Air Force planes to the Brasília-Porto Alegre-Brasília route; Temer was upset with Dilma's trips to participate in events where she criticizes the government; "It's a scandal that I can't travel to Rio, to Pará, to Ceará. I can't take a plane because there's no security, it's the Constitution that mandates it," criticized Dilma; "The objective is to prevent the president from moving around. It's an attempt to prevent the president's discourse from being presented to society," said José Eduardo Cardozo.
247 - The Civil House informed that the government has decided, based on an opinion from the Sub-Chief of Legal Affairs of the ministry, to restrict the trips of the suspended president Dilma Rousseff on Brazilian Air Force (FAB) planes to the Brasília-Porto Alegre-Brasília route. The restriction to this route is motivated by the fact that the suspended president has a residence in Porto Alegre. Acting president Michel Temer was displeased with Dilma's trips to participate in events where she criticizes the government. The opinion is signed by the Sub-Chief of Legal Affairs, Gustavo do Vale Rocha, who has previously defended the suspended president of the Chamber of Deputies, Eduardo Cunha (PMDB-RJ), in cases before the Supreme Federal Court (STF).
The Civil House explained that, since she is away from her presidential duties, Dilma has no official commitments that require travel on FAB (Brazilian Air Force) planes. It further explained that the use is authorized for trips from Brasília to Porto Alegre because Dilma's family members reside in the capital of Rio Grande do Sul.
The opinion signed by Rocha contradicts the summons that the Senate sent to the suspended president when it decided to open the impeachment process. The document notified Dilma of the senators' decision and informed her of the rights she would have during the period of suspension.
The summons, prepared by the Senate's General Counsel, stated that Dilma would be entitled to air and ground transportation without specifying the destinations to which the suspended president could travel using public resources.
This Friday (3), in an act against acting president Michel Temer in Porto Alegre, Dilma Rousseff criticized the opinion and said that her right to defense is being "curtailed". “We are being deprived of our right to defense. They are not democrats, they are coup plotters. [...] An interim government whose objective is to prohibit me from traveling. You should be happy because my right to travel is only from Brasília to Porto Alegre. But don't be happy. It's a scandal that I can't travel to Rio, to Pará, to Ceará. I can't take a plane because there's no security, it's the Constitution that says so,” she criticized.
Former minister and Dilma's lawyer, José Eduardo Cardozo, stated that he learned of the opinion through the press and found the decision "strange." According to him, it is not the Executive branch's responsibility to address this issue, since the impeachment process that removed Dilma from the Presidency is the responsibility of the Legislative branch, with rules endorsed by the Supreme Federal Court (STF).
"I see this as an attempt to prevent the president [Dilma] from participating in meetings. How will she get around? By commercial flight? The goal is to prevent the president from traveling. It's an attempt to prevent the president's discourse from being presented to society. This is terrible," said Cardozo.
"Situations like this are intimidation tactics against the defense, hindering the president's actions in the country. And what is she going to do? Take a car, take a commercial flight? Is that what they want? No. They don't want her to move around," he accused.