President Lula (PT) disembarked, this Thursday morning (2), in Santa Maria, in Rio Grande do Sul, to monitor the situation in the municipalities of Rio Grande do Sul hit by heavy rains that have already left 13 dead and 21 missing.
The federal government's delegation also includes ministers Rui Costa (Civil House), Renan Filho (Transport), Waldez Góes (Regional Integration and Development), Jader Filho (Cities) and Paulo Pimenta (Communication Secretariat), as well as the commander of Army, General Tomás Paiva, and the head of the Air Force Commander's office, Air Major-Brigadier Antonio Luiz Godoy Soares.
A meeting with governor Eduardo Leite (PSDB) will be held by the delegation.
“We will put as many men as necessary to help. There is no limit to the number of people we can send”, stated the president, in a telephone conversation with Eduardo Leite on Wednesday (1).
After disembarking at Santa Maria Air Base, the minister of communications, Paulo Pimenta, declared that the focus is on saving lives. “That’s why we’re here,” he said.
The National Civil Defense and the Ministry of Defense already provide support to the state in providing emergency assistance to those affected by the floods. The Armed Forces have assisted in the search and rescue of victims and in clearing roads, in addition to distributing food, mattresses, water and setting up triage points and shelters.
Two Brazilian Air Force aircraft already operate in the region and two others from the Army are moving to the state. The Ministry of Defense requested another eight. According to the federal government, the number of Armed Forces was increased from 335 to 626 soldiers, and 45 vehicles and 12 boats have already been supplied.
Also part of the federal delegation in Rio Grande do Sul this Thursday are the national secretary of Civil Protection and Defense, Wolnei Wolff Barreiros; the executive director of the National Department of Transport Infrastructure (DNIT), Carlos Antônio Rocha de Barros; and the president of the National Supply Company (Conab), Edegar Pretto.
Through social media, governor Eduardo Leite (PSDB) stated that “this is not just a time for overflights, but for everyone to work together to save lives”.
“Aircraft need to be focused on rescues. We need to combine all our efforts. It is a moment of coordination between the armed forces and the state of Rio Grande do Sul to rescue people, this is our focus at this moment”, he stated.
Source: CNN Brasil
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