The federal government is prioritizing city governments whose requests for release of funds are made by two pastors that do not hold public office. These pastors have been intermediating access to the Ministry of Education (MEC), declared the minister of the area, Milton Ribeiro.
The statement is recorded on a recording to which Folha had access.
Since January 2021, at least, Pastors Gilmar Santos and Arilton Moura have been negotiating with municipalities to release resources from the National Fund for the Development of Education (FNDE) for work on daycare centers, schools, courts or to buy equipment.
Ribeiro, in a meeting at the MEC, explains that this responds to a request from President Jair Bolsonaro.
In the recorded conversation with mayors, FNDE leaders and pastors, the minister also indicates, without going into detail, that there is a counterpart to the release of resources from the portfolio: "So the support we ask for is not a secret [...] church building".
When questioned, MEC, FNDE and the Presidency did not respond. Sought after, Santos and Moura did not respond to the allegations either.
Mayors who participated in the meetings obtained funding for new works. The municipality of Anajatuba (Maranhão), with 27 thousand inhabitants, for example, had six works committed.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon