Congress greenlights emergency funds to Rio Grande do Sul amid floods

The flooded Guaíba River, in Porto Alegre. Photo: Gilvan Rocha/EBC

The Brazilian Congress approved a decree declaring a public calamity in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul due to the heavy rains and floods. The decree authorizes the federal government to leave part of the expenses to face the calamity out of the primary result target (according to Brazil’s fiscal framework, the government must pursue a zero-deficit budget for this year).

Other restrictions under the Fiscal Responsibility Act are also waived. The state of calamity will be valid through the end of the year. Separately, the federal government has also authorized the payment of BRL 580 million (USD 113 million) in budgetary earmarks for hundreds of cities across the state.

Congressman Osmar Terra, a Rio Grande do Sul native and the decree’s rapporteur in the House, said it “opens the doors for the government to allocate resources” on “an important scale.”

Per state authorities, over 1.4 million have been affected by the ongoing crisis. 95 people have died, and 128 are missing. Over 158,000 people have been displaced, and more than 66,000 are in shelters.

The floods heavily hit the state’s capital, Porto Alegre, and disrupted logistics. The city’s international airport has been shut down indefinitely since Friday. Water overflowed the airport’s lobby and runways. About 85 percent of the capital’s population is without water supplies — which has led to a massive relocation of people to other areas.

The U.S. Consulate in Porto Alegre announced it has shut down to the public until May 24, postponing all visa interviews. The Consulate added that it remains “available 24 hours a day to provide assistance to U.S. citizens in the region in the event of an emergency”.

Governor Eduardo Leite has called the situation a “war-like scenario” and said the state is facing its “most critical moment” ever.

On Tuesday, CBF, Brazilian football’s governing body, announced that all matches involving teams from Rio Grande do Sul would be postponed until May 27.