Reserve general Augusto Heleno, former head of the Institutional Security Office (GSI) of the Bolsonaro government, will give a statement to the CPMI on January 8th this Tuesday, 26th. The collegiate investigates the anti-democratic demonstrations that culminated in the attack on the buildings of Três Poderes, in Brasília, in the second week of the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT).
Heleno, a first-time ally of Jair Bolsonaro (PL), is not the target of any of the investigations involving the former president, and will be heard as a witness. To Estadão, he confirmed that he will appear before the commission.
In the request for CPMI to take the general’s testimony, rapporteur Eliziane Gama (PSD-MA) considered that, “due to his position as then minister of the Institutional Security Cabinet”, Heleno could present “information of enormous value to the conduct of our future work in this committee”.
Senator Ana Paula Lobato (PSB-MA), in turn, highlighted in the request that it is “necessary for the deponent to clarify, among other things, their direct or indirect involvement in facts that have a causal link in the coup attempt that occurred in 08 January 2023”.
Heleno was heard by the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) into Anti-Democratic Acts of the Legislative Chamber of the Federal District in June and remained faithful to Bolsonaro, as he himself stated. The former GSI said he was not a coup organizer and repeatedly responded “I don’t remember” when questioned by deputies from opposition parties.
Heleno was head of the GSI during an alleged coup meeting with the Armed Forces
According to leaks from Mauro Cid’s plea bargain, former president Jair Bolsonaro met with the Armed Forces leadership to discuss the possibility of a military intervention to annul the result of the 2022 election, when Lula was chosen for the Presidency. Heleno was head of the GSI and a close ally of Bolsonaro at the time and his testimony was scheduled shortly after the revelation. CPMI parliamentarians must investigate his possible involvement at the time.
GSI of Heleno received scammers
In a request to summon the former head of the GSI, deputies Rubens Pereira Júnior (PT-MA) and Rogério Correia (PT-MG) point to a report from the Agência Pública portal which revealed that “between November 1st and December 31st 2022, the GSI, then headed by General Augusto Heleno, received several people involved with the acts, including ‘one of the coup plotters arrested in the act after the invasion of the headquarters of the Three Powers'”.
General was part of a WhatsApp group with scammers
In an interview with the UOL portal, retired aviator colonel Francisco Dellamora said that Heleno participated in a WhatsApp group involving active and reserve military personnel, with discussions about possible coup actions. The group existed until January 8, the day of the attacks on the headquarters of the Three Powers, and was attended by retired general Sérgio Etchegoyen, who was head of the GSI during the Michel Temer (MDB) government.
Bolsonarists burned buses during Lula’s diploma ceremony
General Heleno was still head of the GSI when Bolsonarists tried to invade the Federal Police and burned buses on the night of December 12, the day of President Lula’s diploma. There were no arrests resulting from the acts. The Public Security Secretariat of the Federal District even stated that “no arrests were found related to the civil disturbances that occurred”.
‘Bandit goes up the ramp?’
In a video released by the Metrópoles website in December last year, a protester asked Heleno if “criminals climb the ramp”, in reference to President Lula, who would take office in a few weeks. The general replied “no”.
At the CPI on Anti-Democratic Acts in the Federal District, Heleno was asked about the topic, but denied that he was referring to the PT member and said that he continues to think that thiefs don’t climb the ramp.
Heleno’s generals remained in Lula’s GSI
Generals Carlos José Russo Assumpção Penteado and Carlos Feitosa Rodrigues, who were part of Heleno’s management at the GSI, remained at the organization in the first days of the Lula government – including during the events of January 8th. They were only exonerated on January 23 and in April they were called to give testimony as part of Operation Lesa Pátria, which investigates the alleged connivance and participation of members of the Armed Forces in the invasion of the headquarters of the Three Powers.
Heleno can help clarify the actions of his subordinates in the acts and whether there was any type of collusion on their part.
Unfavorable context for the military
In June, in testimony to the CPI on Anti-Democratic Acts in the Federal District, General Heleno said that the coup camps were “healthy places” and minimized the occurrences. “I think the treatment they are giving to this word coup is not appropriate. A coup, to be successful, needs to have leaders, a main leader, it is not a simple attitude. This term coup is being used with extreme vulgarity. A demonstration, a demonstration of dissatisfaction cannot be characterized as a coup”, he claimed.
But the context is now less favorable to the former head of the GSI than three months ago. His testimony will take place among several setbacks that have hit the military in recent weeks, such as the Federal Police operation that cited General Braga Netto in an investigation into alleged embezzlement of public funds during the federal intervention in Rio de Janeiro.
The testimony also comes after leaks of excerpts from the plea bargain of Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid, Bolsonaro’s former aide-de-camp. According to information already published in the press, Cid even stated that he handed over cash to the former president, resulting from the illegal sale of Presidency jewelry. He also said that Bolsonaro consulted the top brass of the Armed Forces about the possibility of carrying out a coup after Lula’s victory.
As Coluna do Estadão showed, Heleno activated the “I don’t know anything” mode about Cid’s accusation. The retired general has told interlocutors that he does not intend to comment on alleged information that he would be mentioned in collaboration with the former aide-de-camp.
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The post What the 8/1 CPMI wants General Heleno to help clarify in his testimony appeared first in Jornal de Brasília.
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