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DPU and AGU at a public hearing at the Federal Senate
On Tuesday, 3 September 2024, the Federal Public Defenders' Office (DPU), the Attorney General's Office (AGU), and the National Association of Federal Public Defenders (Anadef) took part in a public hearing at the Federal Senate. The session aimed to discuss and present the results of the ‘Caravan of Rights: Reconstruction of Rio Grande do Sul’ programme.
The hearing was conducted by the Senate's temporary external committee (CTERS) responsible for monitoring disaster recovery efforts following the severe floods caused by heavy rain in Rio Grande do Sul. The programme provides comprehensive, free, and conciliatory legal assistance to families impacted by the flooding in the state.
Senator Paulo Paim (PT-RS) presided over the hearing. The meeting was attended by Federal Public Defender-General Leonardo Magalhães, Federal Public Subdefender-General Marcos Paderes; the coordinator of the DPU Rights Caravan programme in Rio Grande do Sul, Renato Braga Vinhas, and federal public defenders Regina Taube and Rafael Alvarez. Also in attendance were Luciana Dytz, president of Anadef, and Mônica Casartelli, coordinator of the AGU’s special group
for legal disaster support in Rio Grande do Sul.
‘This project is a significant partnership between the DPU, the AGU, and other institutions. The purpose of this hearing is to provide the public with an account of the work government institutions have done in Rio Grande do Sul,’ said Leonardo Magalhães when describing the work that the DPU and other federal government agencies have done to ensure that the addressing of problems, inequalities, and disasters in Brazil includes and meets the needs of vulnerable communities and populations.
During the meeting, Federal Subdefender-General Marcos Paderes presented the programme’s key achievements, including the establishment of a centralized virtual legal assistance channel, legal and extra-legal services in disaster situations, and partnerships with municipal, state, and federal institutions to protect citizenship and promote social justice.
The DPU’s work is divided into two main actions. The first consists of 90 missions aimed at identifying and assisting individuals affected by the floods, offering both legal and psychosocial support. The second focuses on a virtual call centre, which has handled 28,000 legal assistance procedures, overseen by federal public defenders.
A Technical Cooperation Agreement (ACT) was signed between the Ministry of Integration and Regional Development (MIDR), the AGU, and the DPU, aimed at expediting the delivery of ‘Reconstruction Aid’ to families in need. Luciana Dytz, president of Anadef, pointed out that: ‘there is a stark difference between regions where public defenders are present and those where they are absent. We, federal public defenders, may be just a drop in the ocean, but we possess the strength of a storm. Neither the judiciary nor the public prosecution services will be found anywhere without the presence of federal [public] defenders’.
Renato Vinhas noted that: ‘The magnitude of the “Caravan of Rights” in the reconstruction of Rio Grande do Sul is evident when we implement various public services together, on-site, and entirely free of charge in the 111 municipalities. The programme’s legacy lies precisely in its unified and synchronized service delivery. Working in isolation is no longer feasible for public institutions. Thus, much of the satisfaction expressed by the population of Rio Grande do Sul with the aid they have received is due to these partnerships between various actors in the judicial system and otherpublic services.’
To date, 50 of the planned 90 missions have been carried out, with a total of 19,245 on-site services provided. The hearing ended with an audio-visual presentation featuring testimonials from affected individuals, as well as an overview of the work carried out by federal public defenders. The committee’s activities will culminate in the publication of a book documenting its actions.
‘The work is ongoing, making this commission crucial for shaping the future of our actions and for our state. I believe that the institutions have successfully supported the people of Rio Grande do Sul. Tragedies like this are unfortunate, and they challenge institutions such as the DPU, the AGU, and the Senate itself to provide swift and efficient responses to the Brazilian people,’ said Mônica Casartelli. The hearing was also attended by Consuelo Olvera, technical secretary of the National Institution Network for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights of the American Continent (Rindhca), and Maria Ângela Carrascalão, ambassador of Timor-Leste in Brazil.
Source: The Federal Public Defenders' Office, Brazil
